The Seven Gates of the Demon Arts
by girliebird
Summary: Chizuru Yukimura is struggling to come to terms with her demon lineage, but when she refuses to relinquish her place in the Shinsengumi at Senhime's request, she is offered a far greater proposal - to master the Seven Gates of the Demon Arts. Will she be able to control her intrinsic powers for the sake of the Shinsengumi? Does she have what it takes to stand up against Kazama?
1. The Proposal

**Chapter One: **_**The Proposal**_

* * *

There were several times when Susumu Yamazaki reconsidered his vocation as a spy. The hours were long, the workload gruesome, and the benefits deplorably scarce. But just as the hardship began to take its toll, life would grant him a sporadic moment of pure, aesthetic bliss.

As he hid within the rafters of an old Buddhist temple nestled between two komainu statues, Yamazaki tried his best not to contemplate the alarming height of his vantage, but instead appreciate the panoramic view of the city. For at that moment, Kyoto was submersed in the fading beauty of what could only be described as the golden hour.

Sweeping his gaze across the capitol, Yamazaki watched emerald rooftops glimmer in the sun while scarlet lanterns took full bloom in the shadows. The tributaries in the west wove into the city like rich brocade, as the tea houses in Shimabara began to trickle with song and sake.

_Beautiful_, he thought with a faint smile.

Sadly, the splendor of the evening was short-lived. In the life of a spy, Yamazaki had come to realize that nightfall was also the hour in which all manner of dubious depravity seeped from the fringes of darkness.

The kerosene lanterns flickered with life, and a lone figure stirred in the street below, forcing Yamazaki to grow solemn once more.

He watched his target slip from the doors of a textile factory across the way. It was the same man he had been following for a couple of days now. Short, round, and coarse, he was dressed plainly with a pair of swords at his hip. Deep lines around his mouth and eyes suggested he was past his prime, yet the questionable activities he took part in said otherwise.

_Trespassing, stealing, artifice, and bribery_, Yamazaki tallied in silent reflection. All crimes considered typical for a common street thug. It was not these crimes to drew the attention of the Shinsengumi spy; however, but something far worse.

Rebellion.

Like a thick poison on the tongue, rebellion against the Bakufu killed all intentions of political stability within the city. Two hundred years had passed under the Tokugawa regime, but the times were changing and political unrest began to wither away its foundation. As a result, every clan sought to gain power, and every man sought to make a change.

_So what is your purpose?_ Yamazaki questioned his target.

If there was one thing he despised more than mutiny, it was the inability to decipher one's motives. This man had done a remarkable job hiding his. Ronin under his control would camp within the industrial district after hours. Intermittent and brief, they congregated within the factories – most likely to train and strategize, but for what, Yamazaki had yet to discover.

He found it a strange occurrence that the men wore no insignia on their clothing. They never uttered the name of their allegiance either. What little organization they did demonstrate lacked all rebellious initiative except their rallying at sundown. The longer they lingered in the outskirts of town, the more perplexing the matter became.

For his part, Yamazaki prayed they were not some new underground mafia. The city's violence rates were doing just fine without the unregulated crime. And with the increasing pressures placed on the shogunate, his days of espionage were already growing late and tiresome.

Sighing, he slumped against one of the gargoyles with a look of resignation. Though this roost gave him a bird's eye view of the commotion below, his stone companions afforded him close-fitting quarters. He was already beginning to feel the numbness creep up his legs and into his back. But just as he began to mentally prepare himself for another dull night, he spotted two swordsmen step out from the alley.

Intrigued, Yamazaki straightened.

These strangers…he had never seen them before during all of his secret stakeouts. Yamazaki knew this at once from their unusual appearances. One man wore an elegant black kimono and looked rather conspicuous with his shaven scalp. It served to offset the deep, sunken sockets of his eyes making him appear skeletal. The other man was not so intimidating in physique, but could easily pass as a merchant. He wore faded burgundy robes and carried a bottle of liquor wrapped in twine.

Yamazaki crouched, pleased to discover that their voices traveled to his ears with ease.

"Good evening, Masa-san." The merchant greeted, dangling the carafe with a devious grin. "We've just received orders. This is cause for a celebration."

"Not so loud, Tadao." The other man cautioned his colleague. "We should attend to business inside."

"Yuu's right. Bring the sake with you." Masa pushed the door ajar and allowed them entrance, but the men loitered at the threshold.

"Tatsuya, are you coming in or are you going to sulk in the shadows all night?" Tadao called out to a figure Yamazaki found slouching against the wall.

Compared to his associates, Tatsuya was quite young to be involved in this little confederacy. Scarcely eighteen, Yamazaki had to guess. He was tall and sinuous from proper training, and his rich garments suggested a certain amount of wealth. But there was something coarse in his demeanor. He leaned against the wall with a fowl expression on his face, black eyes glinting under the lamp light.

"This is absurd," he scoffed at his companions. "We _finally_ have orders and you waste time to drink. Have you no honor?"

His provocation formed a static tension amongst the swordsmen. The kind of tension preceding a sudden brawl at quick-draw. Yamazaki observed the way in which Tatsuya grew aggravated under the critical scrutiny of his elders. It was a small detail, but one that provided significant implications nevertheless. They did not trust each other, and what was a confederation without trust?

Yamazaki held his breath.

If their stalemate persisted any longer, he feared news of a homicide would reach headquarters instead of a burgeoning rebel threat. But just as hands curled around hilts and eyes flashed with anger…Yuu took a deliberate step towards the youth.

"Cool that tongue of yours, boy." He chided in a soft, sinister tone. "You forget we've invited you for a reason."

Tatsuya pulled away from the wall, but kept a hand close to his steel.

"And what reason would that be?" He asked.

The skeleton raised his hands in a patronizing gesture of peace.

"My young friend, what's with the sudden mistrust? You are among allies here. All the more reason to share a drink, no?"

The sullen youth remained wary.

"Come. We have much to discuss. Tadao?"

The merchant shared a shrewd glance with Yuu before disappearing into the factory. Slipping his hands into the folds of his kimono, Yuu followed casually behind him. Only then did Tatsuya feel brave enough to approach the doorway.

Relieved to have evaded a roadside skirmish, Masa checked the streets one last time before sliding the door into place.

_Finally_, Yamazaki breathed.

Pulling away from his roost, he leapt from the temple roof and melted into the dark.

. . . . . . . .

At that same exact moment, several leagues across the city, another group of swordsmen gathered within the golden hour. It was in their company that usually cheerful and optimistic Chizuru Yukimura was struck by the realization that her life was in jeopardy.

"Come with me, Chizuru."

Senhime's eyes were bright and expectant - pleading even -but Chizuru could do nothing to dispel the fear mounting in the pit of her stomach. It was a monumental feat coming to terms with her newfound status as a demon, but the prospect of leaving headquarters left her virtually desolate.

"Where?" She asked her female guest in a muted voice.

"Away from here, of course," Senhime answered freely, "to a place where Kimigiku and I can better protect you. The Shinsengumi is no place for a woman."

The room grew instantly taciturn, as all officers took offense to her words.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Shinpachi sputtered in outrage.

From his place, Sanosuke scoffed, "I think she's implying that we are nothing but savages."

An acerbic laugh followed his words.

"Only two of us fit that description." Okita amended with a sly glance at Hijikata.

Senhime lifted her carmine gaze to the lieutenant as well, and observed the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Whether her words had offended the great swordsman or not, Hijikata remained unmoved as he assessed her judgment.

"We are the Shinsengumi." He stated matter-of-factly. "Our presence is felt throughout the city by friend and foe. If Chizuru is indeed in danger, there is no safer place than within our walls."

His words were met with the staunch approval of his company. Chizuru lifted her troubled gaze too, hoping to catch reassurance from the lieutenant, but his attention remained steadfast on the demoness.

"Fukuchou, forgive me, but you are underestimating the peril that she is in." Kimigiku interjected with a grave glance at her charge. "Kazama has incredible strength even by oni standards. Why do you think an entire shinobi clan has been dedicated to protecting the Gozen bloodline all these years?"

Behind the kunoichi, Okita sniffed at the mention of their adversary.

Images of the Ikedaya Incident flooded his mind instantly, reminding him that his duel with the blond-headed devil had been left unsettled. Kazama had jumped through the window and escaped before Okita had time to recover his strength. It left a silent fury in the captain for many reasons; the most poignant one being deprived of a good fight.

"I say let him come." He shrugged, finding the situation completely copacetic. "Chizuru's presence will guarantee his return, and when he does…we'll be ready."

Senhime shifted her focus to the captain. Though he lacked his weapons, his wily demeanor and casual presumptions were enough to provide her a clear perception of his character.

"Tell me, Souji Okita," She spoke his name unfavorably, "is it valor that compels you to make such a statement? Or your love of blood sport?"

His grass-green eyes flashed for a moment, but he otherwise remained silent.

"I thought so," she frowned.

The Head Commander of the Shinsengumi exhaled deeply, bringing their disagreement to a close.

"Yukimura-kun, what is your opinion of this?" He asked.

So lost in her turmoil, Chizuru had taken to tracing the lines of the tatami mat with her eyes hoping the concentration would be enough to calm her racing thoughts. Nothing in life had prepared her for this moment, and she found herself gawking at the Head Commander speechless.

"Do you wish to stay or leave?" He urged her gently.

"Kondou-san, you shouldn't say such things!" Shinpachi reproved, but the Head Commander motioned for silence.

"We can voice our opinions on the matter all we like, Shinpachi-san, but it does not change that fact that Yukimura-kun reserves the right to choose." He reasoned with the captain. "What matters most is her safety. If she feels that Senhime-san can offer what we cannot...so be it."

A hush settled over the room as all eyes fell on Chizuru.

She took a breath, realizing that Kondou had just given her control over their forum. Though it troubled her deeply that she would have to decide right there on the spot, she couldn't blame the Head Commander for his candor.

The Shinsengumi suffered troubling times with an alarming shortage of resources. In her heart, she knew they would never turn her away if she chose to stay. But her value in headquarters was limited to a handful of responsibilities. Washing, cooking, cleaning…it would never be enough to compensate the terrible misfortune she risked by remaining in their encampment. Kazama posed a threat to them all, but he was _her_ enemy, not theirs. Was it right of her to stay – to tax their resources - when she attracted more trouble than she was worth?

The answer to this question was obvious, and yet…her moral compass swayed.

"Chizuru." A smooth voice intoned.

Realizing she had been caught delaying the issue, her body stiffened at once.

"Yes, Hijikata-san." She cringed.

Risking eye contact with him seemed rather dangerous at this point. She was already consumed with dread, and knew that his sharp voice was indicative of an equally piercing gaze. She had no desire to be trapped within the iron will of her warden. Kondou may be known for his candor, but it was Hijikata who was notorious for his stringency. To her greatest bewilderment; however, his following question was far from harsh.

"You wish to stay here, correct?"

Baffled, she lifted her gaze and found him watching her with mild impatience. Though his expression was no less severe than before, there was something significant in his choice of words. Instead of simply asking as Kondou had, Hijikata revealed the depth of his sapience by understanding the true nature of her feelings.

Finding comfort in this thought, she gave a curt nod.

"Then stop wasting time on this nonsense." He dismissed with a sigh. "You may stay."

Chizuru relaxed.

The raging tempest in her heart dissolved, and even the hottest summer day paled in comparison to the warmth flooding her cheeks. Overcome with gratitude, Chizuru folded her hands neatly on the tatami mat and dipped her head in the deepest show of respect.

"Thank you," she breathed.

Senhime observed the girl's actions and found it decidedly peculiar that such cold words could trigger such a profound reaction. Chizuru was glowing in such a way that anyone might think the oni-fukuchou had just graced her with a lavish compliment instead of criticizing her for her indecision.

This caused her to question Chizuru's motives, and the demoness was at once curious.

Studying Hijikata shrewdly, she supposed he was rather striking for a human. Mature, broad-shouldered and equipped with a deep, smooth voice, he seemed well suited as Deputy Commander. His appeal was akin to something wild and untouchable; though, a creature incapable of feeling. He was a dangerous swordsman and an unsuitable guardian for Chizuru. It did not sit well with the demoness to contemplate what might happen should the girl continue to linger in his company. A man like that was destined for hardship, something Senhime hoped Chizuru could escape.

Sensing her scrutiny, Hijikata returned her regard with a quirked brow.

"You have your answer." He declared. "Chizuru will remain in our care."

His glib assertion displeased her.

"How am I to be sure her answer is sincere when you pressure her so?" Senhime challenged him. "She has no business residing in a regiment. You know this."

"Osen-chan…" Chizuru began to soothe, but Hijikata already straightened with indignation.

"This may be a military institution, but her gender does not warrant any lesser treatment than the standard soldier within this compound." He interjected vehemently. "We conduct ourselves with honor, not the grotesque things you've collected from gossip."

At this, Senhime pursued her lips.

"Gossip is foolhardy, and I am no fool, Hijikata-san." She argued. Then with a cool flickering glance, she added, "though, I must confess the local rumors do you justice…_oni-fukuchou_."

Kimigiku mirrored Chizuru's fearfully tense posture as demon and samurai shared hostile blows.

"We are finished here." Hijikata growled under his breath. "Souji will see you to the gate."

This caused a reproachful look from the captain.

"Me? Since when am I the page boy?" he began to protest. One fowl look from Hijikata; however, and his petulance vanished swiftly under the searing wrath of the lieutenant.

Rising to his feet, he slid the shoji screen aside and let the cold night air swoop into the room.

"Ladies," he gestured in mock decorum.

"Wait. Wait just a moment." Senhime stalled. "If this is indeed Chizuru's wish, then perhaps she will considered another proposition."

Shifting onto her knees, Senhime clasped hands with Chizuru.

"Now that Kazama is aware of your heritage, he will stop at nothing to obtain you. Female oni are rare and sought after by other oni. He will have no scruples coming after your Shinsengumi in order to get to you." She imparted gravely.

The fear that had been curling in Chizuru's belly crept up her throat and into her brown eyes as she recalled times in which both Okita and Hijikata battled against the flaxen swordsman.

Aware of her plight, the demoness quickly pulled her onto her feet and into the present.

"If you will not let me protect you, then you must learn to protect _yourself_." She implored. "The blood of a demon runs through your veins, Chizuru. You too possess powers. I can teach you how to harness these gifts. It is tradition that the Demon Arts be passed down from oni to oni, and with Kazama on the prowl…time is of the essence."

Senhime released her and turned to face the officers.

"My proposal is this: allow me to instruct Chizuru in the Demon Arts, and I will allow her to remain in the Shinsengumi. Let us consider this a compromise."

Her statement was met with quick confusion, as a powerful wind burst through the entryway. Its icy breath stirred hot sparks from the brazier, causing several members of the group to gasp in alarm. Amid the disturbance, Chizuru found herself locking gazes with the oni-fukuchou just long enough to watch the sparks illuminate his look of mistrust.

Her heart raced as it recalled the last time she had been on the receiving end of his disfavor.

It happened on the night they first met. Cowering in the snow, her body was pinned against the discarded crates of a deserted alleyway that had been desecrated with slaughter. Large, globular snowflakes dusted Hijikata's brow as he stared at her from the other end of his katana. The bodies of her pursuers laid motionless at his feet, and as he loomed over her, she recalled the sharp cruelty in his eyes as he calmly contemplated her death.

She knew she was innocent, and yet she had played witness to an ill-fated scene. Accursed men in Shinsengumi colors had crossed paths with her and demonstrated a vengeance so profane it was if hell itself had opened its floodgates. If she was going to die, it was for the simple truth that she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. A coincidental fluke.

Mercifully, Hijikata had chosen to spare her life, but in doing so, he had trapped her in a terrible secret.

The Wolves of Mibu were in possession of a deadly substance - an elixir wrongfully named the Water of Life. Rumors purported it originated from demon descent, but these speculations were debatable. No one really knew where it came from or who first discovered it, only that her father, Koudou Yukimura, had been conducting research on its elusive properties. In the event of his disappearance; however, the information that was left behind culminated in one disastrous truth: it was cursed.

One sip of the volatile mixture, and the most debilitating faults were replaced with newfound vigor. The Ochimizu drug preserved life, but even more extraordinary, it could reverse death. Such power of this magnitude came at a personal cost, and the result was devastating. For once the curse took its hold, the victim developed the insatiable thirst for human blood and was forever condemned to a life of carnage. Even now, Chizuru could see the snow-white hair and bloodlust eyes of the Rasetsu she had encountered on that fateful night she met the Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi.

A chill crept into her heart as she saw a frightening correlation.

If a demon truly gave life to the blood curse then…where did that leave her?

Chizuru's brow creased, as she thought about the times in which her wounds had miraculously healed. She also thought of the blue fire and golden eyes of Kazama. Was it true that underneath her human exterior…a demon lurked in the recesses of her being? Was she capable of incredible violence too?

A hand covered her mouth, as she instantly understood Hijikata's aversion.

"I…I am sorry, Osen-chan," she blurted, withdrawing from the demoness, "I…I can't."

Chizuru dropped her gaze and was immediately overcome with shame. Spinning on her heels, she dashed out of the conference room before anyone had time to protest. Her exodus was so abrupt; Okita missed his chance to stop her with a strategic arm placed across the doorframe. She dodged him easily and fled down the steps that spilled out into the courtyard. By the time she heard Senhime call out her name, she was already halfway across the lawn and well outside earshot.

Solitude. Solitude was what she needed - what she craved. A moment in a quiet place where she could let her emotions roam free without fear of judgment. Her mind would require time to process all that had transpired this night, but the sight of Hijikata's revulsion stung her deeply. In the wake of her horror, had he reached the same conclusion too?

Devastated, Chizuru longed for her missing father. She ached for the days where they lived peacefully in Edo without fear of the supernatural. Ever since he left for the capitol, her life was fabricating deeper and deeper into the unknown. It grieved her to think how much heartache she could have prevented if she had just simply asked him to stay.

Pausing under the lattice of her living quarters, Chizuru leaned her shoulder against the nearest pilaster and rubbed furiously at her cheeks. Tears would achieved nothing, she knew, but it was better to anguish here in the dark than in a room full of samurai.

Resting her head against the column, she opened her eyes and let herself drown in the night sky.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The inhabitants of the conference room were left in a temporary state of pause.

Concerned for their ward, Shinpachi was the first to stir.

"Let her be, Nagakura-kun." Sannan advised with a vague smile. "She has undergone a lot in the past two days. Some privacy is what she needs right now."

"But she hardly touched her dinner." The captain pointed out.

"You can save the remnants of her meal in the kitchen in case she gets hungry. Harada can take the first shift guarding her door tonight." Kondou offered by way of accession. "We can revisit this issue in the morning if need be. But for now, let's give her a moment's peace."

"Hai, Kondou-san." Shinpachi abated grimly.

Senhime observed their exchange and found herself moved by their open display of compassion. In truth, she had only ever encountered the Shinsengumi during their many routine patrols through the city. Citizens generally gave them a wide berth, as the reputation stood that these men were dangerous and unpleasant, but she could see now that this was not entirely true. Dangerous, yes. Unpleasant, yes. But they were also fiercely loyal to those they considered their own.

Senhime began to understand why Chizuru was in no hurry to be free of the Shinsengumi.

"Milady?" Kimigiku goaded with a concerned look.

She took a steady breath.

"Chizuru has endured much hardship, but…it comforts me to know that she has all of you to count on." She admitted repentantly. "As long as you understand what you are up against, all I ask is that you do not allow her to fall in Kazama's hands."

"We are one in that regard," Kondou assured her.

Senhime smiled.

"Good. Then perhaps in time, she will seek me out to learn more about her powers." She whispered softly. "Until then, good night."

The demoness and kunoichi bowed graciously before vanishing with the night air.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello there! Thank you so much for reading _The Seven Gates of the Demon Arts_. This story is the result of my post-_Hakuouki_ disappointment when Senhime failed to pass along the secrets of the oni to Chizuru. As I began speculating over all the amazing things she could have learned – and all the things she could have prevented as a result – I felt compelled to indulge a little. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan _series.

Here is the soundtrack that inspired this chapter:

Travel to Edinburgh – Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil

Destiny's Path – John Williams

The Dragon Book - John Powell (Senhime's Second Proposition)

4/10/15: This chapter has been edited from its original version.


	2. The Repeal

**Chapter Two: **_**The Repeal**_

* * *

Chizuru tossed and turned, her subconscious mind working tirelessly to resolve the grim situation she left at dinner. In her lethargic state, she was filled with a determination to set things right. But no matter how hard she tried, sleep eluded her to the point that her waking reality morphed into a delusion – one where she found herself pacing underneath the garden trellis of her home.

It was remarkable how well she remembered it, her home in Edo. Sunlight streamed through the thick entanglement of wisteria; the long, lavender petals swaying gently in the breeze. She walked barefoot in the grass enjoying the birdsong that floated in the air. Here, everything felt fresh and alive. Everything had cadence. Many times she had wandered to this very spot to escape the concerns plaguing her conscious. Now it would seem her mind yearned for that quiet place of familiarity.

As she wandered little by little, the grass slowly transformed into flagstones and she was no longer in her garden, but a maze of vacant buildings. They stretched out on either side of her; the stately Machiya houses of Kyoto. There was no evidence of life; though, and that frightened her. No people, no birds, no wind…Alarmed, Chizuru set off at a run, but it was hard when she was burdened with a heavy bundle. Someone had asked her to deliver it across town, but failed to provide her with an escort. Moreover, she had misplaced her sword. Why wasn't it strapped to her waist?

"Yukimura, where's your sword?" A faceless soldier chastised her.

"I…I…"

"Never mind, let's move. The enemy is near." He ordered, taking off with a full patrol.

"Wait, I can't carry this!" She cried out, but the phantom squadron was already miles ahead of her, as waves from the coast began rushing over the rooftops. Her feet were getting wet. She needed to seek higher ground. If only she could move!

Chizuru assessed the package in her arms. It was large and cumbersome, but the item within seemed light. She ripped it open, and to her astonishment, discovered an old mirror tucked within the paper folds. Pulling it loose, she discarded the rest into the cold gray water lapping at her ankles.

"Keep a hold of it," said Senhime, appearing at her side. "But whatever you do, don't look into the reflection."

Chizuru held it aloft. "Why? What is it?"

Senhime didn't respond, but instead grasped her hand and pulled her toward a dense thicket of trees.

"We have to cut through or we'll never make it," she said from over her shoulder.

Flashes of white filled Chizuru's vision as she realized they were being chased by furies. Their shrill laughter echoed through the forest. Chizuru cradled the mirror in her arms, trying her best to follow Senhime, as they raced for the compound. The tall, stone wall came quickly into view, but there were no gates with sight.

"Hurry! Quick, up here!" Sanosuke waved to them from atop the wall.

Water was knee-deep and gushing. The furies were surrounding them from all sides of the wall, slipping from the trees like ghosts. Senhime reached out for Sanosuke's hand and was pulled to safety, but when Chizuru tried to follow, the captain stopped her.

"Not you." He said, shaking his head.

Confused, Chizuru tried again, but he pulled her hands away.

"No, please!" She shouted, clutching to the wall with feet dangling. "Help me!"

The entire Shinsengumi stood upon the wall with their faces cast in shadow; each appearing carved from stone.

"You're not allowed," said Hijikata, as he peered over the ledge.

Chizuru's heart sank.

"Why?!"

He pointed to the water. When she glanced down, she saw her mirror floating on the bubbling surface. As it drifted near her feet, she could not help but look into its reflection, glimpsing bone-white hair and blood-red eyes.

Chizuru awoke in a flash, sitting up abruptly.

Hot and disoriented, she pushed aside the woolen blankets of her futon and shuddered. Pulses of fear surged through her body, clouding the fact that it was just a dream. The images had been so vivid…She ran hands along her face, breathing deeply. The vision of herself as a Rasetsu in particular filled her mind, and it was horrifying.

"Just a dream…it was just a dream…" She mumbled, cupping her brow. "Nothing real."

Though this statement was designed to bring her comfort, it lacked the same impact it once had. Her nightmare was no longer fictional in any sense. The blood curse was real.

Head throbbing behind her ears, she felt exhausted.

_What time is it?_ She wondered.

The lantern in the corner of her room flickered weakly. She must have fallen asleep before remembering to douse the flame. A couple hours had diminished the blaze to a small ember. It did little to drive out the wintry chill seeping through the thin walls, but its light was an added comfort. Wrapping her pink haori close around her neck, Chizuru frowned as she noticed a loud commotion outside her door.

Footsteps pounded across the veranda, quickly followed by shouts and the sounds of steel.

She froze.

_Something's wrong._

Seconds later, gun shots resonated through the compound, rattling her sensitive ears. She knew of only one man who possessed a firearm: Kyo Shiranui, a demon.

Without hesitation, Chizuru retrieved the wakazashi at her bedside and slipped from the room in haste. She found the lawn in front of her apartment teeming with soldiers. Many were half-dressed and without armor, having been caught unawares in the dead of night. She saw their sharp steel gleam in the moonlight, as they raced toward the eastern gate.

_Not good_, she swallowed. _Not good, not good, not good._

Chizuru knew the chances of Shiranui infiltrating headquarters on his own was highly improbable. The gunman was part of a despotic trinity that encompassed the brutal force of Kyuju Amagiri and Chikage Kazama. They attacked as one or not at all – a truth she could not neglect.

_Kazama will have no scruples in coming after the Shinsengumi in order to get to you._

Senhime's warning rang inside her head as loudly at the brass gong signaling an attack.

Chizuru placed her hands on the banister, pondering wildly what she should do.

"Yukimura-kun, what are you doing out of your room?" Inoue materialized from the shadows at a brisk, stealthy walk. "It's too dangerous." He said urgently. "I have orders to keep you inside."

Chizuru saw he too had drawn his sword, and the sight of it dismayed her.

"Inoue-san," she said, shaking her head sadly, "hiding isn't going to work. They know I'm here."

Glancing toward the gate, she saw the silver mane of Rasetsu advance upon the enemy. If Kondou had given clearance for retaliation, then bloodshed was imminent.

"I have to stop this." She whispered.

Lines of concern etched into Inoue's brow, as he realized her selfless intent. Swiftly, he moved to stop her, but Chizuru broke into a sprint down the loggia.

"Yukimura, _please_," he shouted in distress, "Please come back!"

Chizuru grimaced. She knew he was only trying to protect her from immediate danger, but there wasn't enough time for her to explain the anguish she would feel trapped behind walls away from her friends. Though it did little to nullify her guilt, Chizuru promised to give him a long-winded apology for her recklessness. But now she needed to set her focus on finding the others.

Traveling fast but silent, she discovered the barracks completely vacant. Shinpachi's apartment stood empty, as well as the one that belonged to Okita. As she crossed the threshold, she noticed that neither captain had bothered with his uniform. A tray of tea service had been scattered across the floor in someone's haste, displaying how readily they had jumped into the fray.

Chizuru slowed down and kept her guard up. Flattening her back against the wall, she glanced in both directions, carefully inching closer to the edge of the building. Around the corner, she spotted a break in the railing that would lead her right into the courtyard. From there it would be a straight course to the entrance and all its surrounding chaos.

Chizuru steeled her nerve, taking a deep breath.

"Planning to escape?"

His voice emerged from the darkness right at her back, shocking her thoroughly. When Chizuru spun around, she was consumed with fear as she gazed into the serpent eyes of a tall, illustrious man. His stance was casual and his shoulders slouched, yet his very presence screamed _enemy_.

"K-Kazama!" She choked.

His eyes flickered.

"Yukimura," he greeted in his soft tenor, trailing a hand absently along the banister. His slow advance caused her to withdraw back against the wall and away from the steps, leaving her trapped.

Chizuru tensed.

For an aggressor, she thought him disconcertingly calm. His speech was level and unhurried, accentuating his imperious nature. Such composure was pretense, however. The demon lord could be quite violent and forceful, especially when it came to the things he wanted. Chizuru knew she was going out on a limb appealing for clemency, but she had to try.

She raised her hands as a sign of nonaggression.

"L-look, there's no reason for violence." Her voice cracked thinly. "If we could just talk, I'm…I'm sure we could reach some sort of understanding."

The demon quirked a brow.

"You wish for me to call a truce?" He asked.

"Yes."

Kazama observed her, appearing neither swayed nor interested in pandering to her request.

"And what makes you think I would negotiate?" He inquired, tilting his head slightly. "Your wolves have already fallen for my distraction. The whole lot of them," he grinned, cutting his gaze briefly to the fighting at the front gate, "which has served my purpose in finding you here…alone and defenseless."

The satisfaction in his gaze showed how easily they had all fallen for his ruse.

Despite her increasing anxiety, Chizuru scowled at him. "I am not defenseless."

She placed a hand on her wakazashi to prove her point.

Kazama huffed, the closest thing to a laugh she would ever hear from him.

"Your attempt to resist me is endearing," he drawled the word somewhat sarcastically, "but I don't negotiate."

He pulled away from the railing ready to apprehend her.

Now that Chizuru understood his ultimatum in kidnapping her, it was apparent that her life in the Shinsengumi was being threatened yet again. Whether it was for protection or personal gain, she wondered if fate was determined to limit her days with the Mibu Wolves. The thought ignited a small spark of anger in her, and Chizuru found herself glaring at the dangerous Oni of the West.

If he would not agree to a ceasefire, then she had no other choice.

Lunging back to allow her plenty of room to draw her sword, Chizuru had every intention of fighting the demon. That intention still rang absolute even as he disappeared from her view, snaked an arm around her shoulders, and jabbed the hilt of his katana into her abdomen.

Her body failed her as she sank into the arms of her enemy.

"So weak…" Kazama purred.

Unconsciousness outweighing her anger, she buckled under the forced sleep.

. . . . . . . . . .

_Kazama has incredible strength even by oni standards._

_He will have no scruples in coming after your Shinsengumi in order to get to you._

_I have orders to keep you inside._

_So weak…_

Thoughts churned like a violent storm in Chizuru's mind as she hung wet sheets out on the clothes line to dry. The effort brought about fresh pain to her bruised abdomen and consequently more turmoil over the events that occurred last night.

In reaction to the presence of oni, Sannan was granted permission to assemble the Rasetsu unit for the first time, and lead it against a collective assault against Amigiri Kyuju and Kyo Shiranui. Many perished by gunshot, impalement, or injury which bore evidence of the superior power of the oni. The casualties were absurd given that eight soldiers were assigned to one enemy.

Chizuru had regained consciousness just in time to witness Kazama rip the katana right out of Hijikata's hands with just a flick of his own sword. Blinded by her impulse to protect the oni-fukuchou at all costs, she intercepted their duel with the intention to fight. Drawing her blade at last, Chizuru reveled in the adrenaline of the fight and found it even more invigorating to have Hijikata's strong arms wrap around her protectively.

But…just like that…Kazama and his allies vanished into the mist. This troubled Chizuru to no end. She had an enemy that could come and go as he pleased, always willing to wait for the right moment to strike –

"Ack!"

The sheets flapped viciously in the wind, causing her to disappear in an onslaught of wet cotton. Chizuru shielded her face with her arms, and batted wildly with the damp bedding trying to gain back control. Luckily, the devious gale yielded long enough for her to escape the perimeter of the clothes line.

Bracing her hands on her knees, she gave an exasperated sigh.

"My, how dangerous."

Chizuru sucked in a sharp breathe.

To her immense mortification, she discovered the first division captain lounging against a wooden post with his arms crossed. The crimson silk of his jacket blazed in the early morning sun, making his emerald gaze all the more mischievous.

"Okita-san." She winced.

He tilted his face, assessing her with a stroke of his chin.

"Don't get distracted in front of your opponent, and it won't happen again." He counseled good-naturedly. "Although…I must admit, it's rather curious to be giving you soldier's advice for _laundry_. The troubled look on your face makes me wonder if we should resign this task entirely."

"Okita-saaaan." She yowled in a much lower voice.

Something in her expression must have pleased the captain, for he relented in a peal of laughter. The joyous sound released some of her tension.

"Are you alright, Chizuru? You seem a bit…pensive." He observed.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Okita pushed off the post and approached her until they were nearly toe to toe.

"Are you sure?" He inquired, displaying a rare amount of severity. His green eyes searched hers as if trying to find a crack in the facade. "You had us worried when you left dinner last night, and then those rogue oni came…"

Although she was in good physical shape, it was true that she was more reclusive than usual. Breakfast that morning had been rough. No one was in a particularly good mood, and she knew it was partly her fault. To keep from further dampening everyone's spirits, she did her best to remain calm and pleasant; she even went to the trouble of cooking an extra batch of rice to keep everyone distracted throughout the meal. But it was a novice mistake to assume that a capable swordsman like Okita Souji would not detect her sorrow.

"I do feel a bit overwhelmed," she gave away at last. "Things are different now."

"That's a bit of an understatement, don't you think?" he teased her gently.

She kept her expression neutral. "Perhaps."

Okita lifted his gaze to the sky, quite content watching the clouds drift across the blue expanse. He seemed completely at ease, but Chizuru knew better than to expect this of his dual nature. The captain was as twofold as any black-and-white theater mask, and just as unpredictable. The muscles in his jaw moved underneath the skin, a rare sign of agitation.

"Don't go beating yourself up about what happened last night," he said suddenly, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. "We swore to protect you knowing the risk. So there is no reason to feel guilty, okay?"

Chizuru averted her gaze. Though she was unsure of what he referenced – there were many instances she wasn't proud of last night – she was surprised that he was able to read her so easily.

"Okay," she agreed.

Okita ruffled her hair.

"Good." Stretching his arms high in the air, the captain yawned lazily before resting his hands on the back of his neck. "How about I finish up here? Hijikata is alone if you still want to speak with him. He's in the conference room reading some briefing reports."

With a sidelong glance, he added, "I bet he could do with a distraction right about now."

Nervous at having to address the Vice Commander on her own, Chizuru swallowed her blushing retort and nodded.

To the captain's credit, Hijikata did seem rather perturbed when she slipped into the conference room with tea a few minutes later. Placing the mug carefully on the tatami floor, she glanced at the array of parchment sprawled across his lap and watched his eyes glide over the characters with impending speed.

"Thank you." He murmured without taking his eyes away from the report.

She reclined in the space directly across from him, unsure of whether to disturb him from his work or abandon her mission all together. By the looks of things, the contents of his dispatch were ill-fated. The dark circles under his eyes seemed all the more prominent when coupled with a look of consternation. He probably didn't sleep at all last night, she assumed with an inward frown.

Clearing his lap of parchment, Hijikata pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yamazaki will never understand the concept of concision." He vented as he stuffed the parchment into the pocket of his sleeve. Collecting his tea from the floor, he took a drink.

"It's sweet." Voice thick with moisture, he peered at the mug suspiciously. Chizuru would have found the moment comical if she wasn't so nervous.

"I added wolfberry to give you energy." She explained, "Okita said you were receiving reports this morning. Troubling news?"

He considered her; his indigo eyes unyielding as he searched for any signs of suffering just as Okita had moments ago. It was decidedly more challenging maintaining her calm pretense in front of Hijikata though. The lieutenant had an ability to look straight through her with his dangerously sharp gaze, making it difficult to breathe let alone think.

He studied her a moment longer before answering.

"Yamazaki sends word of rebels gathering in the out skirts of town." He confided at last. "He believes they are operating under an allegiance not of the Chousu clan."

Troublesome news indeed.

"Are they a new extremist group?" Chizuru ventured grimly.

"It is possible. Yamazaki has yet to discern who they are or what their agenda entails, but they are a threat to the Shinsengumi nonetheless." Hijikata explained in provocation. "We will have to increase our patrols and travel further from headquarters with twice the man power we now lack due to Itou's desertion."

Chizuru contemplated his words with a feeble conscious. Aside from maintaining civil order within the city, the Shinsengumi had many powerful enemies that would benefit from a permanent suspension. Kondou was doing his best at recruiting new members, but it would take well beyond a month's time to recover their losses. Her troubled thoughts turned to Saito and Heisuke, and she wondered if they would ever return to the Shinsengumi.

"If what Yamazaki says is true, then we'll need to diversify our interests." Chizuru presumed. "Invest in the soldiers we have now. By increasing their skills, we can compensate for the lack of numbers."

Hijikata paused in taking another drink of his tea, surprised that she mirrored his own thoughts.

"You speak as if you're familiar with this predicament," he mouthed over the rim of his mug.

"A bit," she confessed. "My father was a private physician in Edo, but there were times when he taught courses on medicine in the community. It was part of his civic engagement. Classes were open to the public, so anyone could attend. He took on several students as a result, including myself: house wives, businessmen, farmers, priests. By diversifying our interests, he was able to prepare us for any state of emergency."

The lieutenant found himself impressed by her inventiveness.

"You sound like your father," he said with a wry smirk. "Did he teach you well in the healing arts?"

"Well enough to be useful." She answered.

Catching the hidden connotation of her words, his smile dimmed.

"Clearly this has been on your mind for quite some time. Is there something you wish to tell me?"

_This is it_, her inner voice urged. _You've made your decision._

"Hijikata-san, due to recent events involving Kazama…I wish to repeal my decision and study under Senhime. I too wish to become useful and aid the Shinsengumi in dispatching rebel threats." Chizuru formally requested. She mimicked the pose she saw the other officers take when asking permission from the Vice Commander. Hands resting on lap and head slightly inclined, it was a posture of complete humility.

The oni-fukuchou scowled at his young ward.

"I thought this matter was settled, was it not?" He intoned in a sharp voice that made the little hairs on the back of her neck prickle.

Chizuru dropped her gaze.

"Last night, eight men from the Rasetsu unit were killed." She spoke as her fists clenched into the fabric of her hakama. The remorse that had been haunting her every waking hour triggered fresh memories of slaughter. The oni had shown no mercy, even to their inferior brethren, the Rasetsu. In a vacant voice, she added, "They died because of me."

"Chizuru, don't hold yourself responsible-" Hijikata began to reprimand, but she could not allow him to deflect the blame on someone else.

"Osen-chan is right! Kazama is going to keep pursuing the Shinsengumi in order to get to me. If you're willing to offer your protection then I am morally obligated to do everything in my power to help you." She pressed on despite his disapproval.

"You're valor is admirable, but there is no place for you on the battle field." He stated emphatically.

They locked gazes; warm amber against lavender frost.

Chizuru hated going against Hijikata's wishes. She always fought so hard to win his approval in everything. Even now she had the sudden impulse to drop the argument in order to save him the additional stress. But as much as she wanted to comply, she couldn't let an opportunity so valuable slip through her fingers. Her perception of the Demon Arts changed the moment Hijikata found himself without a katana in the enemy's wake.

If everything went according to plan, Chizuru would have the power to prevent such a thing from ever happening again. But in order to accomplish her goal, she would have to make the Vice Commander understand.

"Do you have faith in your men?" She asked him softly.

The question was arbitrary enough to draw a look of skepticism from the lieutenant.

"Yes."

"Would you risk your life to defend them?"

"Yes."

"Would you allow them to risk their lives to protect you?"

"Not if I could help it."

The subtle change in his tone warned Chizuru that he understood where her questions were leading to and that he didn't much care for it.

"If their loyalty is indisputable, would you ever deny a soldier the right to wield a sword?"

"Of course not." He glowered, setting his tea back on the tray with an audible _plunk_.

"Then why do you allow me to remain in the Shinsengumi, but deny me the right to fight?"

"That's _enough_." He snapped angrily, rising to his feet. "You speak of things that are far beyond you."

His outburst was so sudden, Chizuru faintly wondered if she had used too much goji in his tea. It was rare for Hijikata to succumb to his anger. After weeks of living within headquarters, Chizuru had learned to decipher his demeanor only by the infinitesimal changes of his voice and expression. The changes were always fleeting and inconsequential, but something she had adapted to without too much difficulty. However, in moments like this when he chose to drop his guard in front of her…her heart raced.

"Listen, what happened last night…what Kazama could have accomplished…," the words were caught in her throat as she recalled the terror she felt at seeing Hijikata unarmed against the demon prince. "I never want to feel so helpless again. I want to help you, not cower in fear. That is most unbefitting of a Shinsengumi member, don't you think?"

With his back turned to her, she was unable to read any sort of reaction from the looming Vice Commander. She studied the proud set of his shoulders and the dark mane running down his back. For a man who knew more about fighting and death than she did, Chizuru couldn't understand why he found the idea so repulsive.

_Is it because I'm a demon too?_ She thought with a tinge of pain.

Tension brewed in the space between them, and Chizuru wilted under the pressure.

_Please say something_, she begged.

"Do you understand what you are asking of me?" Hijikata asked her.

"I do."

"And you will not be persuaded otherwise?"

"No."

Her heart was pounding as he glanced at her over the ridge of his cheekbone. The manner in which he looked at her was the sort reserved for scrutinizing the vermin of the streets rather than a young girl pledging her allegiance. Swallowing the bile in her throat, she lowered her gaze to the floor once more.

"Very well." He conceded. "I will send word for Senhime."

Astonished, Chizuru had words of gratitude tumbling from her mouth, but the oni-fukuchou exited the conference room before she even had the chance to speak. Staring wide-eyed after his dark silhouette shining through the shoji screen, she wondered if he would ever forgive her.

For what she was about to do, most likely not.

* * *

**A/N:** These first two chapters are mostly just setting up the plot, so I apologize if they seem a bit slow. I wanted to integrate this scenario into the storyline of the series as closely as possible, so there are few inconsistencies in the future. _Hakuouki_ is very sequential which makes it challenging to deviate from the actual plot, but I'll be moving into original stuff from this point.

Also, I know there is a cardinal rule to avoid dream sequences at all cost, but I couldn't help myself! I love dream symbolism and felt this was as good an opportunity as any.

Here is the soundtrack that inspired this chapter:

Mountains - Han Zimmer (Chizuru's dream sequence)

Raid on the Castle – Henry Gregson-Williams

Thank you so much for reading and your kind reviews.

girliebird

4/23/15: This chapter has been edited from its original version.


	3. Oni in the Wolf Den

**Chapter Three: **_**Oni in the Wolf Den**_

* * *

Following through with Chizuru's request, Hijikata issued an express invitation for the demoness and kunoichi to return to headquarters. This feat was significant considering how private Senhime was in her affairs. Her surname failed to surface in any civic records belonging to the commune. It was as if her clan was a fictitious family bound together by secrets and deception; such absence from public record made dispatching a letter too problematic.

Hijikata focused his efforts on the compound's defenses instead, willing away the time until the issue could be ignored no longer. Under his careful attention, training schedules were reassigned, rosters redistributed, and patrols entirely rerouted…it wasn't until the third day following the incident with Kazama that he recalled the kunoichi guising herself as a geiko in Shimabara.

Using this as his sole lead, Hijikata scrawled a letter and delivered it to the tea house where Sanosuke had treated his colleagues over a fortnight ago. If Kimigiku was as clever as she seemed, she would discover the note and report back to her charge. Fulfilled, Hijikata quickly absolved himself of the task and resumed his bureaucratic toil alongside Kondou.

In the several days that passed, the rest of the commanding elite were informed one way or another that Chizuru was to study the Demon Arts; a most elusive and confounding prospect.

While it was obvious that Hijikata still held his reservations on issue, everyone else seemed quite intrigued by the supernatural powers that lay dormant in their female ward. Experience with the Ochimizu had nurtured a healthy tolerance for such odds. When it was brought up over dinner one night, Sannan couldn't help but grin, eyes dancing behind his glass spectacles.

"Evidently, not all truths pass into legend," he murmured, staring deeply into his sake. "If a man can cheat certain death with a few drops of blood, then it should come as no surprise that the mysterious still walk among us."

With that, he lifted his ceramic ochoko to Chizuru and drank. A few of the others followed suit, toasting to their ever-growing, uncertain world. The colonel's words had sparked an interest that night that further flourished under the heavy flow of alcohol.

The following day, Shinpachi perused the compound's library in search of anything at all 'demonesque'. His efforts resulted in a meager collection of fine art prints and prose of which he shared with Chizuru over their afternoon lunch. She found the items strange, but they encouraged her sense of curiosity nevertheless. Stirred by his own interest, Sanosuke recounted legends from his childhood, spinning compelling tales of celestial beings that could do all sorts of extraordinary things. One of Chizuru's favorite stories involved a female demon who safeguarded the sun from a nefarious attempt to end the world in darkness.

Not to be outdone (and certainly willing to take advantage of the situation), Okita found it amusing to adopt new pet names, much to Chizuru's disapproval:

"Good day, malignant spirit of the Shinsengumi!"

"Hiding your saber tooth grin and third eye today, Chizuru?"

"My, I hope this cold drizzle isn't caused by your hellion thoughts, oni-sama."

"The Lady Demon cannot possibly expect to feast on cold rice, now can she?"

"Please _stop_." She would always beg, but his responding smirk told her it was a lost cause. The menace would stop only if it ceased to amuse him, and Chizuru knew the changes of that every happening were nonexistent.

On a more serious note, Sannan and Kondou both approached her about seeking information related to the elixir. They hoped she would be able to uncover the logistics of its chemical compound and reverse the dangerous effects. Kondou also reminded her that Senhime could possibly provide information in regards to her father, Koudou Yukimura. She promised to keep that in mind throughout the duration of her studies.

Inoue, not withholding a single begrudging bone in his body, cheered for her escapade wholeheartedly.

Only Hijikata kept his distance from her. His sudden detachment made her feel as if it was her first week in headquarters all over again. Cold, indifferent, and silent, the Vice Commander kept his words minimal at mealtimes and left on official business that would have him return at odd hours of the day. When Chizuru attempted to approach him one afternoon, Shinpachi whisked her on patrol saying that the lieutenant would be better left alone. Every attempt thereafter was thwarted by her increasing insecurity.

That is why, when the day finally arrived that Senhime and Kimigiku answered the Vice Commander's summons, the conference room was stifled with tension as Chizuru took her place beside Hijikata. Sitting straight with hands folded neatly in her lap, she tried to swallow her nerves.

Senhime was the first to greet her.

"It is good to see you again, Chizuru-chan," she said earnestly. "Your fukuchou informs me you wish to learn the Demon Arts. Is this true?"

Chizuru absorbed her strange attire, and quickly realized the demoness was dressed like a soldier. Her russet hair still hung loosely around her face, but a large ponytail protruded from the back of her head. She wore a deep teal haori with crimson arm-guards and a swath of dull-colored silk over white pants. Ever her matching counterpart, Kimigiku's sleek raven hair was pulled tightly into a samurai's topknot and her figure was heavily obscured by black-and-white striped silk with gray hakama and black leg guards. They each wore a pair of swords at their waist.

Chizuru found their transformation so intimidating; it took her a moment to find her voice.

"Y-Yes, that is correct." She said, frowning. Then with a deep bow, she added, "I also wish to apologize for the way I treated you both the other night. It was not my intention to disrespect you."

Senhime leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder in goodwill.

"I understand Kazama paid you another visit." She murmured.

Chizuru tensed.

"Amigiri and Shiranui as well," she confirmed with a pained expression. "They killed eight of our own."

Senhime and Kimigiku appeared grim by the troubling news.

"We are very sorry for your loss," Senhime consoled her gently. "Kimi-chan and I feared the worst when we learned that Kazama had discovered your identity. To think he would show no mercy…" Her words trailed off, as she shook her head in remorse.

"Chikage Kazama holds no love for humans or anyone he deems inferior to himself," said Kimigiku with a hardened gaze. "We have had our own skirmishes with him in the past. He lacks compassion, and fights without restraint."

"It is inexcusable." Senhime agreed. "Kazama may be powerful, but he is not the only one capable of upsetting the balance. There is much I can teach you that will protect you against such a foe."

Senhime held Chizuru's gaze as she said this, and for a moment her eyes flashed a dazzling gold.

"I look forward to our time together." She smiled.

Shivers traveled down Chizuru's spine as she witnessed the subtle change in Senhime's face. That small flicker revealed just how little she actually knew about the Gozen heir. The night Chizuru learned she was a demon; she had failed to realize that Senhime was also a pureblood demon. But unlike Kazama, Senhime was virtuous by default. Strong and independent, she carried out a life that only continued to intrigue the Shinsengumi ward.

Chizuru shared a look of determination with the demoness.

"I as well, Osen-chan."

Senhime nodded her approval.

"Your fukuchou and I have compromised on the details of your training." She continued with a brief look at Hijikata.

As if on cue, he cleared his throat to speak.

"You are still expected to complete your daily chores, but you will report to Senhime-san in your spare time for lessons in the south garrison which has been cleared for this purpose." He ordered sternly. "You will not be allowed to leave headquarters, thus Senhime-san and Kimigiku-san will be staying with us for the duration of your training."

A realization hit Chizuru. "Is this why you're both dressed as soldiers?"

Kimigiku chuckled. "Are we convincing enough? Your oni-fukuchou refused to let you come with us. The only alternative he would agree to is letting us guise ourselves as men so that we could stay here with you."

"We're members of the wolf pack now." Senhime said with a beguiling smile at the lieutenant.

Chizuru inclined her head in the deepest show of respect. "I appreciate you going to all the trouble!"

Oni and kunoichi shared a playful look.

"It's not all that bad, Chizuru-chan." Senhime smiled. "I can pick my nose and cross my legs like a man."

"Yeah, no more fidgeting with an obi either," said the kunoichi appreciatively. "This suits me."

"We make pretty dastardly men, huh Kimi-chan?" Senhime nudged her protector. "We could even rival the great oni-fukuchou, eh Hijikata-san?"

The lieutenant appeared irritated by their shenanigans, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

"Your disguises are essential in maintaining order within the compound." He intoned with disapproval. "If it bothers you so much, we can end our agreement here."

"That's quite alright. We have fully invested in our aliases." Senhime responded agreeably. "As far as the recruits are aware, I am the youngest son of a distant warrior clan, and Kimigiku is my steward. We've just recently joined the Shinsengumi to make a name for ourselves in Kyoto. We will do everything in our power to uphold our side of the bargain. As for you, Chizuru-chan…"

The girl jolted to attention. "Yes?"

"Mastering the Demon Arts is no leisurely stroll through the park. I have compiled everything you need to learn into a seven part regimen, but it will require steadfast fortitude and dedication on your part." Senhime warned. "To achieve this feat, I expect you to follow every instruction I give you. Is this understood?"

Hijikata glanced at Chizuru warily and found her nodding in compliance.

"If it will aid me in my studies, then I will do everything you say."

Something devious flared in her carmine eyes as Senhime grinned.

"Excellent. Then our arrangement is settled."

. . . . . . . . . .

The rest of the afternoon was fraught with activity as Senhime and Kimigiku settled into their new apartments within the lodge. Inoue had been kind enough to give them a grand tour of the facilities. He took care to show them the central training area, bath house, bedrooms, and small kitchenette where they could boil hot tea and noodles over a rudimentary stove pit. The oni and kunoichi were expected to dine with the officers, but the small kitchen would allow them easy access to whatever they needed in between meals.

Their rooms; on the other hand, were a bit large and vacant for Chizuru's taste. Designed to house over a dozen soldiers, furnishings were kept to a minimum save for a furnace and hidden closet. She quickly assured her guests that blankets and toiletries would be procured immediately, but Senhime calmed her fears with a smile.

"Thank you, Chizuru-chan, but members of Kimigiku's clan will be bringing our belongings to headquarters. We should have everything we need to transform this lodge into something more suitable to our tastes."

And transform it they did.

Chizuru watched in silent awe as all manner of curious possessions were brought into the garrison by Kimigiku's clansmen: rugs, tables, chairs, pillows, jade-embellished chests, mirrors, dishware, rations, scrolls…Every item glistened in the afternoon sun like an antique treasure.

"I wonder if Osen-chan intends to use all those strange objects in her teachings." Chizuru pondered as she strolled alongside the tenth division captain. They had left for patrol shortly after securing their guests' accommodations. Hijikata's recent ordinance required that they travel further from headquarters, thus they were pressed for time if they wanted to return in time for the evening meal.

The captain glanced up at the smoldering evening sky in thought.

"I doubt it." Sanosuke replied. Then with a smirk, he added, "I got the impression that Senhime was flaunting her fortune just a little to aggravate the Vice Chief. They're not very fond of each another."

His tone was light and humorous, but Chizuru did not laugh.

"Hijikata is still angry with me, isn't he?" She asked point-blank.

The spearman glanced at the young girl.

It was disheartening to see her shoulders wilt dejectedly as she fixated on the ground before her. Normally, her solemn moods could be cured with some sweet dango and a bit of humor, but intuition warned Sanosuke that it would take a great deal more to pull her from this dark abyss.

The captain frowned.

It was true that Hijikata _was_ acting like an insufferable ass, but Sanosuke could understand the reasoning behind the fukuchou's sordid temper. In the framework of swords and chivalry, a samurai was bound to a warrior's code the moment his katana drew blood. From that moment on, he was a crusader of the code's golden law: vanquish the evil and protect the innocent. To deviate from this code meant to digress from honor.

Every officer within the Shinsengumi was aware of this philosophy, but it was Hijikata's unwavering devotion to the old ways that made him a fierce leader. No one ever questioned the honor of the great Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi.

_To think his greatest challenge would come in the form of a young girl._ Sanosuke thought wryly.

Whether intentional or not, Chizuru was putting the Commander's honor to the test – something that had not occurred in a long while. Allowing a young woman to take up arms and fight in a political war would certainly be viewed as a figurative stain on Hijikata's honor. She had no idea how forbidden the idea was to him.

"I think he hates me." She confessed with pallid cheeks. "I think he finds me repulsive now that I'm a demon."

The captain came to a complete halt causing Chizuru to collide into his back. Before she could voice her apologies, Sanosuke placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Chizuru-chan, listen to me." He counseled. "Hijikata could never hate you for what you are. He is a good man- a man with some social blunders yes - but still a good man. I think you are misinterpreting his emotions."

Chizuru frowned.

"How?" She asked.

Sanosuke pinched his chin as he searched for the right words.

"You have to understand…when a man is concerned, often times it comes across as something much more…volatile. Our anxiety translates to anger." He explained with minor difficulty. "Anger is something we can act on. It fuels our motives and dispels our fear. Eh…like a coping mechanism."

Chizuru pondered his words carefully, keeping her eyes trained on the street.

"So what you're saying is that…Hijikata's anger is a result of his concern?" Chizuru deduced.

He always knew she was an exceptionally bright girl.

"Exactly!" He grinned. "The Vice Commander is in such a poor mood because he's afraid you feel obligated to repay the Shinsengumi for its protection by rushing onto the battlefield. He doesn't want that life for you. He wants you safe."

A fair amount of color returned to her cheeks, as she became self-conscious.

"Oh…well, I never would have thought of it that way-"

"You should place a little more faith in the fukuchou, Chizuru-chan." He interjected. "You mustn't forget that he is a man with a sense of pride too. Think how useless he feels now that you don't trust him to protect you."

Chizuru blinked slowly. "Hijikata… feels useless?"

"Yes, even _his_ ego isn't completely invincible." He remarked with smug satisfaction. He found it amusing that no matter their astronomical differences, men would always be men.

Grabbing hold of Chizuru's sleeve to draw her close, Sanosuke tilted his head.

"Do you want to know something else?" He whispered conspiratorially.

"W-what?" She asked with darkened cheeks. Their close proximity did not escape her attention.

"The reason he dislikes Senhime so much," he murmured with alluring golden eyes, "is because she's filling a role for you that he is supposed to take: your protector."

Chizuru went slack-jawed as she froze in either shock or horror. (Sanosuke couldn't tell.) He watched in genuine delight as her hands flew to her face to shield the rosy blush, but the attempt was futile. He had already seen.

"See? He's not so scary after all." Sanosuke goaded teasingly.

"Captain, is there a problem?" A soldier called out. Glancing down the street, Sanosuke found his men standing in formation awaiting orders. Resuming his authoritative demeanor, the tenth division captain called out, "Let's report back to base."

"Yes sir!"

"Come on." He beckoned Chizuru as he followed after his division. "If we hurry, we can make it back in time for supper."

She swiftly jogged to catch up with him.

"Hai!"

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, Senhime and Kimigiku have moved into headquarters. Things are about to liven up now that a pureblood demon and master kunoichi have taken up residence with the Wolves of Mibu. :D

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

Royallieu – Alexandre Desplat

I Don't Like It Like This – Radio Dept.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

8/31/15: This chapter has been edited from its original version.


	4. The First Gate: Meditation

**Chapter Four: _First Gate: Meditation_**

* * *

Dark, tumultuous clouds loomed in the sky with the promise of rain, as Chizuru dashed across headquarters under the cover of a parasol. She could already feel moisture clinging to her hair as she climbed the steps of the lodge house with a basket against her hip.

"Good morning, Chizuru-chan." Senhime chimed as she slid the door open. Considering her student's disheveled appearance; the demon quickly relieved her of the basket.

Chizuru was grateful.

"Good morning." She gushed. Pulling the parasol shut, she leaned it against the door frame before swiping the dew from her bangs. "I've brought the blankets you requested, Osen-chan. I hope they are enough."

"Oh, thank you. We will need those today." The demon smiled as she set the basket to the side. With a critical glance at the ominous clouds, Senhime added, "This weather constitutes a poor day for chores, but an excellent day for training. Why don't you come inside?"

Walking into the lodge for the first time since the oni and kunoichi moved into the facility, Chizuru was wide-eyed as she took in the lavish room filled with all manner of curious furnishings. Glancing down at her tabi socks, she realized that she was standing on a large woven rug made from indigo and orange threads that rolled out into spiraling designs across the room. Large, white lanterns hung suspended from the floor by metal rods, and a collection of priceless cushions congregated around a glossy wooden kotatsu table in the center of the room. Senhime had even gone as far as to fill a bookshelf with countless scrolls and a globe.

"Do you like what we've done to the place?" Senhime ventured.

Chizuru's eyes soaked in the richness of the room and nodded. "It's quite lovely."

Lovely was a bit of an understatement, but she was too enthralled with the room to give a proper response. Was this really the same empty soldiers' barrack she had seen just a day ago? She saw more glamour in this one room than she had seen in her entire life.

With hands on her hips, Senhime gazed at the room triumphantly. "Amazing what a few decorations can do, huh? The Shinsengumi really ought to higher an interior designer to boost the morality around this place. It's as cheerful as a prison." She griped.

Flouncing into the parlor, she asked, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Chizuru shook her head. "Um, no. Not yet."

"Good, come sit with me then. Kimigiku is making something special for you."

Senhime guided her toward the table and ushered her onto an orange cushion with teal cherry blossoms. Folding her legs underneath her, Chizuru clasped her hands as she watched the demon take her own seat from across the table.

"Now that we no longer have a captive audience, I thought we could discuss the nature of your training." Senhime began as she rested her arms on the table in a casual manner. She had abandoned her red armguards and swords, but still played the part of a dutiful soldier in her white hakama. "What do you know of demons, Chizuru-chan?"

Considering she was only familiar with their existence for a few brief days, Chizuru relied on her experience with the Rasetsu.

"They're incredibly strong, fast, and invulnerable to mortal wounds." She answered with furrowed brows. "They become intoxicated with the scent of blood and rush head-on into a fight."

"Hmm…and what of Kazama? What do you know of him?" The female demon inquired.

"He's different from a Rasetsu." Chizuru acknowledged as her fingers traced the fading bruise to her abdomen. "He appears and disappears like an apparition and moves with unfathomable speed."

"So the purebred mongrel resorts to his akuma no chikara, does he?" Senhime huffed with a solemn smirk. "What a hypocrite."

Chizuru was confused. "His what?"

"Akuma no chikara; it means 'demon power'." Senhime explained. "Kazama manipulates his power so that he can increase his strength and cast illusions. Although quite useful, it is considered wrong to use our chikara against humans. It's an unnecessary advantage."

Chizuru's confusion turned into bewilderment.

"Wait, so…demons can manipulate power?"

Her mentor blinked.

"Oh dear, it looks like there is a lot for us to cover." Senhime hummed in chagrin. Glancing at the bookshelf against the wall, she rose to her feet and began to peruse her literary collection.

"Normally, children of demon descent learn to manipulate their chikara through their parents, but you were robbed of that chance, Chizuru-chan." Gliding her fingers across the shelves, Senhime paused at the touch of an antique scroll wrapped in snake skin.

Pulling it delicately from the shelf, she returned to the table with it resting in her open palms.

"So we'll just start at the beginning."

Intrigued, Chizuru leaned forward as her mentor pulled the scroll from its bizarre packaging only to reveal a spool of decomposing parchment curled around a bone center. Senhime tugged the ancient thing open and laid it gingerly onto the table.

"This is one of the last surviving illustrations produced by my ancestor, Suzuka Gozen." She informed Chizuru with sparkling eyes. "It depicts the origin of our power."

Accustomed to reading her father's medical diagrams, Chizuru studied the illustration with experienced eyes. She saw the bones, tissues, organs, and blood vessels of a typical anatomy chart, but the figure on the parchment was assailed with cobalt-inked lines that travel in and out of the body in a complex arrangement. Tracing their path with her eyes instead of her fingers so as not to progress the document's disintegration, Chizuru discovered that they led to a plume of fire at the center of the body. Across the internal flame, someone had inked thinly scrawled characters that read: Akuma no chikara. Demon power.

"Our power rests here," Senhime pointed to the cobalt flame, "in the center most part of our being between heart and soul. The chikara is the medium in which we can manipulate our reality."

Placing a hand over her heart, Chizuru wondered if her power burned blue as well.

"I'm coming in." Kimigiku announced candidly through a set of interior doors.

The kunoichi strolled into the room with a tray balancing in her right hand. Chizuru noticed that she had abandoned her warrior's garb for black pants and a loosely-tied haori, yet she kept the samurai topknot. The blend of feminine and masculine attire was jarring, yet Chizuru thought it worked for Kimigiku's unusual personality.

"I brought the concoction, milady." She informed Senhime as she set the tea service a safe distance from the scroll. Curling atop a cream pillow, the kunoichi grinned at Chizuru.

"Good, then we are ready to begin."

Senhime withdrew from the table and began to pace lazily.

"In retrospect, a demon must learn to manipulate their akuma no chikara in order to use their other powers. This demon art is known as the First Gate." She instructed as she gestured to the golden seal at the corner of the illustration. "Without mastering the First Gate, you cannot go on to fulfill all Seven Gates of the Demon Arts. It must be done in sequence."

_Seems simple enough_. Chizuru thought.

"How do I master the First Gate?" She asked.

The demon pivoted on the balls of her feet and clasped her hands together in prayer.

"Through the art of meditation, of course." Senhime answered. "All oni must learn to control their power before they gain the right to use it. Meditation will hone your ability to extract your chikara which clears the premises of the First Gate."

"Okay. When do we start?" Chizuru posed with determination.

Kimigiku shook her head in disagreement.

"Now hold on, Senhime-sama, you make it sound too easy," accused the kunoichi. "Have you forgotten how difficult it was for _you_ to clear the First Gate?"

"Of course, I remember. Six months of sitting in a room alone will forever be engraved on my mind. But as much as I want to give Chizuru a fair chance, the clock is ticking. Kazama is hot in pursuit, and the more quickly she masters the First Gate the more likely she will be able to clear the other Seven Gates." Senhime rambled with urgency.

"Then how do you suggest we speed up time?" Kimigiku questioned.

The demon crossed her arms in intuitive thought.

"Demons are essentially designed for survival. Place us in a strenuous environment and the likelihood of our chikara triggering to life increases exponentially." She speculated in a clinical tone. "In theory, if we worsen Chizuru's environmental conditions, she should be able to sync with her power ten times faster than the time it took for me to achieve the First Gate."

"In theory." Kimigiku echoed doubtfully.

Oni and kunoichi glanced at the subject in question, and found her in silent deliberation.

"Chizuru-chan, remember when I said that there would be instances in which you would have to follow my instructions without any objections?" Senhime queried.

Straightening her spine, Chizuru nodded. "Yes."

"This is one of those instances." Senhime warned.

The severity of her voice and Kimigiku's bleak expression frightened Chizuru.

"What does that mean, Osen-chan?" She asked.

Senhime knelt beside her at the table.

"To pass through the First Gate, you will have to overcome hunger, thirst, and solitude." She explained as she held up three fingers. "Thus, you will be banned from nourishment and companionship while you meditate."

Kimigiku stirred.

"The tea is a lemon and syrup remedy that is supposed to trick the body of its cravings. My family uses it for field work." Kimigiku revealed with a small frown. Piecing together how it would be beneficial to the lesson, she turned to Chizuru and advised, "Drink it. It will suppress the pangs of hunger."

Chizuru digested their words.

Realistically speaking, skipping one or two meals a day was not a cause for concern if it was a temporary situation. Unfortunate souls had been known to survive days, maybe even weeks, without a single crumb in sight. If what Senhime said was true- that demons were designed to survive- then Chizuru felt she could handle that aspect of the training just fine. What did trouble her; however, was the imminent task of solidifying her demon power.

For all she knew, Senhime could be asking her to capture smoke with her bare hands.

_How does a person go about channeling something they've never touched, seen, or felt?_ She wondered frantically.

The reality of the situation diminished Chizuru's previous enthusiasm as she realized this would be a far more difficult challenge that she had bargained for. Senhime was well versed in the demon arts, but if it took her six months of meditation to awaken her power, then there was little hope for Chizuru.

Even so, she had to try.

Clearing her mind of any reservations, Chizuru flashed a determined smile.

"I am ready, Sensei."

. . . . . . . . . . .

_Tock… Tock… Tock… Tock…_

The souzu fountain served as the peripheral metronome of Hajime Saito's thoughts as he gazed indifferently across the spacious garden of his new residency. Quite comfortable in his linen scarf and black silk, the swordsman raised ultraviolet eyes to the perpetual gloom and wondered when the rain would ever stop.

At this rate, there wouldn't be a single cherry blossom left.

"Saito-san." Heisuke greeted as he leapt onto the veranda. Rainwater drenched him from head to toe, but the plum haori over his shoulders soaked up most of the moisture. Reclining next to the previous third division captain, he peeled it off so as to rub warmth back into his limbs. "Itou-san has secured the deeds to our new base, so the recruits will be moving in any minute now. We've each been given apartments in the east wing."

Saito remained still. "Such favors are needless."

"Why do you say that?" Heisuke frowned. "We're of captain level. We have a reputation to resume amongst the men. Itou expects it."

"We _were_ of captain level, Heisuke. We left that behind." Saito reminded his younger colleague. "We're now a part of the Mausoleum's Guard."

An unnatural silence grew between them, and Heisuke began to fidget.

"Even so, we are still well known among the men. They've resorted to calling you the Stone Wolf, you know." He baited hoping to extract a reaction out of his monotonous friend. "Quite frankly, your lack of enthusiasm makes me wonder why you decide to join up with Itou-san in the first place."

Saito chose his words carefully.

"For similar reasons as your own. I wished to expand my horizon and explore both sides of this unrelenting war. A two-way perspective is stronger than a one-way perspective."

"Always the strategist." Heisuke sighed with a grin." I have to agree with you though. If I'm going to be risking my life for a greater cause, I want it to be the right one, you know?"

Saito shifted his gaze and saw a burning conflict flare in the boy's cerulean eyes. For one so young, Heisuke demonstrated a rare amount of insight. Most young soldiers rushed into war for personal glory, whereas Heisuke was deliberating what national cause was worth sacrificing his life for. Only a true samurai would be that selfless.

Little hope remained for this country if it forced its youth like Heisuke into early graves.

_What a waste_, Saito mulled dismally.

Even if the pendulum was swinging, drawing nearer and nearer to their demise, Saito and Heisuke were the masters of their own destiny. If the political storm should unravel to chaos, they would always have a fighting chance. Saito would see to that.

Lifting gracefully to his feet, he held a hand out to the boy.

"Let's go inside before you catch a cold. There's got to be a bottle of sake somewhere in this place."

At the mention of booze, Heisuke grew most compliant. Using Saito's hand as leverage, he stood on his feet and strode forward.

"I know where they keep a whole pantry full." He confessed with a copious grin.

Saito suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"If I'm the Stone Wolf," he murmured under his breath, "then you are the Plastered Pup."

. . . . . . . . . .

The day was fading fast with deteriorating conditions, and still Chizuru had yet to be seen emerging from the lodge house. Her absence had been noticed during breakfast, lunch, and dinner but Senhime and Kimigiku informed the officers that she was undergoing intense training and could not be disturbed.

"She's fighting a personal battle." Senhime explained. "In order to do this, she must not enlist any help from the outside, including me."

"What sort of perverse training removes the teacher from the lesson?" Hijikata demanded of the female oni.

Senhime lifted her chin. "Chizuru is testing her mental fortitude. As for the rest, I cannot disclose with you. The demon arts are a strictly coveted as 'demons only' intelligence."

The oni-fukuchou radiated a dark enough aura to rival the torrential pour from outside. Sensing his anger, Kondou jumped into the conversation before Hijikata could induce further insult.

"I'm sure Yukimura's perseverance is unwavering." He stated graciously. "We will cease our concern and support her from the outside, right Toshi?"

Hijikata refused to conform to Kondou's peacekeeping routine. Dropping his chopsticks onto the tray, he excused himself from the room without words. No one stopped him.

"What a foul man." Senhime seethed with a scowl on her delicate face. "He has the emotional charm of a toadstool."

Kondou raked a hand through his hair in evident remorse.

"I apologize. He's currently under a lot of obligations that deprive him of his pleasantries." He implored. "He tends to get this way when he's worked himself to exhaustion."

The demon appeared unsympathetic.

"I will not condone negligence, Commander." She responded coolly. "He should know his own limits. I will _not_ be treated as some conduit for his anger."

At the back of the room, Okita cleared his throat.

"Kondou-san, I'll speak with him." He assured the Head Commander.

With the weather forcing everyone inside, feelings of claustrophobia were running rampant, yet Okita appeared to be immune to the stifling tension in the room. Standing up from his favorite cushion, he stretched his back lazily.

"Leave Hijikata to me." He insisted.

Kondou was overwhelmed with old memories where the captain had uttered those same exact words. In the past, Hijikata was known to plummet into a dark anger that would make him unapproachable by the other men, but Okita had always been insane enough to appease him.

Confident in his aptitude for the task, Kondou heaved a sharp sigh of relief. "Thank you, Souji."

Upon exiting the conference room, Okita took a languid stroll around headquarters and discovered that the lieutenant was nowhere to be found.

_Strange, he has to be here somewhere. _He reasoned with himself.

When he checked Hijikata's apartment, his black haori still hung from the coat rack which indicated that he hadn't left headquarters. The only thing missing save for the commander himself was his katana.

Using this as his sole clue, Okita strained to listen for any sounds that didn't fall in unison with the tumbling rain. The sky was still a convoluted mess of lightning and thunder, but amid the chaos he could pinpoint the subtle whorl of metal slicing through air.

_There you are._ The captain grinned.

Setting off toward the farthest reaches of the complex where the training fields were kept, Okita rounded on a terrifying sight.

Immersed in the full elements, Hijikata stood poised for a killing strike. Body angled, feet apart, and katana held a limber in his right hand, he focused his attention on three wooden dummies stationed in a row across the training yard. Bits and pieces of the other twenty-seven figures were scattered in his wake like the remnants of a faux massacre.

A flash of lightning drew Okita's attention to a severed head.

_He's furious_, he mused as he rubbed his own neck gingerly.

Hijikata exuded an ethereal grace as he lifted his blade to rest perpendicular to his gaze. Breathing deeply through his mouth, he lunged toward the wooden imitations with nimble speed and disemboweled all three in one powerful strike. The dummies slumped from their posts and into the mud with a sickening wet noise.

"My my, I haven't seen you train like this since our old dojo days." Okita appraised with a low whistle.

The oni-fukuchou pulled back from his inanimate victims.

"What do you want, Souji?" He growled. "You should be in bed resting."

"It's nice to know that some people never change. You always get this way when something is troubling you: aggressive and vulgar."

Hijikata turned and glared at him. "I don't need your disparagement."

"But it's true." Okita argued. As proof of his statement, he grabbed the decapitated wooden head from the ground and held it up to the lieutenant with raised brows.

"Aggressive and vulgar."

Hijikata schooled his expression.

"Though you're referring to a chunk of wood, I do see your point." He quipped.

Okita dropped the head back to the ground with a resounding _thunk _and took a seat on the edge of the veranda.

"To further attest to your violent attitude, Chizuru now fears that you hate her." Okita mentioned in a casual manner. "The girl has lost her nerve to approach you, and I can't blame her. You're about as warm as a sheet of ice these days."

The commander darkened.

"She made her request, and I procured her teacher. What is there for me to hate?"

"Oh, I don't know." Okita baited in mocking deliberation. Crossing his legs, he rested his chin in the palm of his hand in idle thought. "Her eagerness to fight? Her stubbornness to obey orders? Her lack of faith? Seems there are plenty of reasons for you to be upset with her."

The captain watched for a reaction, but Hijikata slipped into an indecipherable mask, suppressing any emotions from seeping into his hollow eyes.

"Well, I am not." He lied composedly. "So you can remove those delusions from your head."

He sheathed his katana and looped it through the sash of his hakama. He was still breathless from the exertion of extricating thirty wooden mannequins, but at least their false demise had satisfied his adamant desire to kill. Anger was a heavy emotion to carry and he had been burdened with it for several days.

Wanting seclusion away from the meddling captain, he turned to leave.

"Hijikata-san." Okita bellowed as he pushed away from the terrace. "Chizuru confessed to Harada that she thinks you hate her because she's a demon."

Now _that_ gave the lieutenant reason to pause.

"What?"

"Your temper is torturing her." Okita scolded disapprovingly. "Do everyone else a favor and reconcile with the girl."

Hijikata considered the request preposterous.

How was Chizuru's self-inflicted pain _his_ fault? It was the girl's decision to learn the demon arts. It was by her request that he arranged for the demon and kunoichi to live within headquarters. It was her imprudence that misled her into wanting to join him on the battle field. The world was not a black-and-white place in which poorly made decisions were so readily forgiven. He would not give her false assurances for something he did not accept.

Hijikata regarded his old friend with a scathing repertoire of insults burning the tip of his tongue, but held silent as the captain fixed him with a withering look.

"Go to her, Hijikata-san." Okita urged. "She needs you."

With no room to further his polemic, Hijikata's anger dissolved into a sort of guilt as he felt the true extend of his mental exhaustion.

"Get some rest, Souji." He sighed despondently, "I've no wooden imitations to destroy for your sake."

Aware of his victory, Okita's classic fox grin spread across his face as he saluted his superior. "I'll take that as my dismissal then. Good night, Commander."

A gust of wind wrapped itself around the lieutenant as he watched darkness creep over the compound. The soldiers would be retiring to their barracks soon and the Rasetsu unit would resume patrol during the nocturnal hours.

Glancing toward the south central building, Hijikata frowned.

A single room still flickered with light.

Certain that Okita was out of earshot, he murmured, "I will deal with the girl."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Life incarcerated behind walls was a sort of morose torture that Chizuru couldn't impose on her worst enemy. After a day of total isolation, the word 'forsaken' took on a whole new meaning as she became smothered by the walls of her pseudo-prison.

Her failure was imminent.

Eighteen hours had passed and no matter what she tried, she _still_ could not bring her demon power to life.

"I'll never clear the First Gate." She sniffed miserably.

Sprawling across the tatami floor in despair, she let the sound of rain and thunder wash over her as she closed her eyes. Today had ended in failure, and with a severely weakened fortitude, Chizuru knew she couldn't last much longer. Contemplating her next feasible course of action, she knew her body needed sustenance, but the floor felt so inviting. Perhaps if she just rested for a couple minutes…

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice drawled.

Unfurling her heavy eyelids, Chizuru gazed into the striking face of the Demon Vice-commander and watched as his dark, inquisitive eyes examined her vulnerable display in fascination.

"H-Hijikata-san!" She shrieked.

Overcome with fear, she rolled onto her stomach and lurched to her feet. Her body reeled from the sudden exertion; though, and she found herself momentarily blinded.

Seeing her stagger, Hijikata slipped an arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Are you alright?" He asked with furrowed brows.

Chizuru couldn't really say. Pressed up against his body, she could smell the rain intermingled with his scent, and discovered it to be a pleasant fragrance. He was not dressed in his customary uniform, but the black haori and gray hakama he wore for official meetings. Strands of hair clung to his skin from the moisture, and all she could think was how devastating he looked wind-swept and rugged.

Heart lodged into her throat, she fought against her vertigo.

"Yes, just a bit dizzy." She faltered submissively. "I was meditating."

"Meditation and rest are not the same thing, Chizuru." He admonished. Her body felt abnormally fragile in his arms and he could sense her trembling.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've been practicing all day but I'm not very good at it." She apologized.

Lingering in his embrace quickly became awkward as she recalled their last argument, and how they barely spared a word for each other since then. It was almost surreal to be having a conversation with him now, at this moment, when she'd much rather be wallowing in self-pity. But the Vice-commander operated by a predetermined agenda which meant his appearance was by no means a coincidence. He was there for a reason.

Recoiling until there was a comfortable distance between them, Chizuru bit her lip as she realized she was nearly on the other side of the room.

The commander slackened his features.

"Is this part of your training?" He coaxed with a brief glance at the room.

Smoothing her collar, Chizuru nodded. "Yes."

"It is nearly midnight. Where is Senhime-san?"

"Osen-chan dismissed my lesson a little while ago." She replied with a fleeting look.

Hijikata took a deliberate step forward. "Then why are you still here?"

"I wanted to show her my progress in the morning," She stammered, "so I decided to practice a bit longer."

_Troublesome girl, _Hijikata reproved in silent irritation.

Clearly Chizuru had spent way too much time in his company if she was indulging in some of his bad habits. The dark circles under her eyes and the gaunt expression on her face served as blatant reminders of his negative effect on her. Unaware of her receptive personality until now, Hijikata wished he could have demonstrated better work ethic.

Filled with the urge to impose some common sense in the girl, he remembered that he had to be…gentle. Hijikata and gentle were not synonymous, but for her sake, he would try.

Approaching her until there was barely a foot between them, he planted a hand on her delicate shoulder and forced her to sit.

"Chizuru, a student needs their rest." He chastised as he settled himself on the floor before her, "Reflection is just as important as the training."

She had missed the tray he held in his other hand, and grew agitated as he revealed a meager spread of jasmine rice, grilled salmon and vegetables smothered in rich hoison sauce. The savory vapors wafted under her nose eliciting a violent growl from her stomach.

Hijikata smirked.

"Here, have something to eat." He urged as he pushed it toward her.

Chizuru hesitated over the tray of divine nourishment. "But I'm not suppose-"

"Eat." He repeated as he forced the bowl of rice into her hands. "You have done enough for today."

Chizuru's mouth watered.

"Y-yes, Hijikata-san."

She took small bites, chewing slowly as proper etiquette would mandate, and swallowing forcefully due to a parched throat. It was unnerving to have Hijikata watching her every move, but hunger quickly conquered her embarrassment, and she found herself devouring the fish and vegetables with ravenous delight. In a manner of minutes, the dishes were cleared and she found herself licking traces of the hoison sauce from her lips.

Hunger finally satiated, Chizuru sighed.

"You seem disappointed." Hijikata observed with crossed arms.

He uttered the sentence as a question rather than a statement, leaving Chizuru room for an explanation. Trapped in his unrelenting stare, she wracked her brain for the right words to convey her dilemma.

"Well, I was just thinking that…I've caused you a lot of trouble, Hijikata-san." She fussed as she stacked the dishes on the tray and pushed it aside. "When I agreed to learn the demon arts, it was my intention to become stronger for the Shinsengumi. But I'm failing you."

Hijikata's mouth thinned into a frown.

"Chizuru, my protection does not come at a price. I'm not a feudal lord." He rebuked with a slight tilt of the head. The motion caused his bangs to shift against his face, framing his perfect square jaw.

"Tell me, how is it that you are failing me?"

Chizuru toyed with her own hair, something she used to do as a child when she knew she had done something wrong. Keeping her eyes trained to the floor, she replied, "Well, I've defied your orders and caused you great anger."

Her words reinforced the piercing mallet already driving against his skull.

Aggrieved to have ever taken on the dauntless task of protecting a young girl, Hijikata swallowed his pride and ceased her ministrations. Catching her hand, he held it gently by the wrist, tugging her slightly forward to that she was forced to meet his gaze.

"Can you blame me, Chizuru?" He beseeched in confidence. Softly, he confessed, "It's only natural for a commanding officer to become restless when his charge takes matters into her own hands."

Kami, his eyes were like velvet, she thought frantically. So caught up in her emotional stress for the past few days, she had forgotten what it was like to be enraptured by his very presence. The smell of rain still rolled off of him in waves, and her skin tingled where he held her wrist. No doubt, he could feel her hyperactive pulse.

Was it the isolation that gave her the sudden fondness to bury herself into his embrace? To thread her fingers through his tousled hair? To pine for his proud smile?

To see the Vice-commander so…unguarded, it made her nearly delirious.

"I am sorry, Hijikata-san." She pleaded with a bow so low it made her neck pop.

Released from his grasp, Chizuru felt him stir and watched as he strode over to the sliding doors and pried them wide open. Water poured out from the eaves creating a sparkling curtain of silver as the moonlight began to peek through the clouds. Stepping out onto the terrace, he beckoned her to him.

"Shall I show you how to meditate?" He offered with a quirked brow.

Chizuru glowed. "Will you?"

They reclined on the veranda, arms nearly touching as they sat in companionable proximity. She could feel the warmth of his body so close to hers and relished the safety of his nearness.

When Hijikata spoke, his voice lulled her into a trance.

"The trick to meditation is to remove the senses one by one." He whispered. "First, you close your eyes."

Her eyes closed of their own accord.

"As your outer world begins to dissolve, let your body grow still until you lose feeling in your toes." He hummed. "By that point, your breathing begins to slow as if you are sleeping. Fill your lungs with air and as you begin to exhale, fade your heart beat into the background."

His words were a lullaby that pulled her from consciousness; her thoughts quickly became as transient as the flecks of moonlight in the rain.

"Now that you've removed yourself from your senses, start to travel through the darkness ahead and leave your thoughts behind. Keep walking into the void."

Chizuru floated into the dark emptiness and noticed Hijikata's voice fading into oblivion. The pleasing sound was sorely missed, but just as she began to falter, suspended in that shadowed dimension, something hovered in the distance drawing her forward. Something deeper. Much deeper. It sang through the very fibers of her being and made the bones of her body rattle with power: a plume of pure cobalt fire.

_I've found it! My power._ Chizuru rejoiced with phantom tears. The cool fire rolled over her skin and blinded her with brilliant light as if it craved her presence every bit as much as she craved it. Senhime never mentioned how intensely wonderful it was to become one with her power. How much it felt like sunlight after years of darkness. A drink of water after walking through a lake of sand. A gasp of fresh air after being trapped in smoke.

It was so perfect and encompassing of a moment, she wanted to cry.

Her chikara was beautiful.

A warm body slumped against Hijikata breaking him of his lecture. Opening his eyes, he found Chizuru's cheek pressed against his shoulder and her posture completely flaccid with sleep. Long lashes casted shadows across her face giving her the proverbial appearance of a sleeping beauty. Lucky for her, she was in the company of the Demon Vice-commander, and not some lesser sort that would take advantage of her barefaced naivety.

Still, he was a man. He was not ignorant to the loveliness of his young ward. Soaking in the sight of her, he noticed the moonlight gave her face a pearly luster and shined against the exposed plane of her neck. Her pink lips were parted as she breathed softly, and if he inclined his head ever so slightly he could smell the floral scent of her hair.

Gods, he was in trouble. What sort of cruel joke had fate played at his expense? The great Demon Vice-commander, savage wolf among men, spellbound by the likes of the young and beautiful Chizuru.

Exercising tremendous restraint, he gathered her in his arms.

"Even without your powers, you are still dangerous." He whispered.

* * *

**A/N:** Only Hijikata would demolish thirty wooden dummies before having enough courage to face Chizuru, right? Am I right?

Chizuru's training was actually inspired by my own attempt at a 3 day cleansing with nothing but maple syrup and lemon tea. About halfway through the first day, I gave up due to incredible hunger pains and weakness. (I lacked the fortitude that Chizuru has!) So, that just goes to show how strong she really is. Chizuru is well on her way to clearing the Seven Gates of the Demon Arts, if I have anything to say about it.

Senhime and Hijikata are still frienemies. (She called him a toadstool! Ha.) I don't know if they'll ever be able to form a truce; they're both so stubborn. Perhaps if something monumental were to happen…hint hint. Heisuke and Saito finally made an appearance, but they are considered to be in limbo at the moment. It's only been a few days since they left the Shinsengumi, but Heisuke is curious why Saito decided to join Itou. (Of course, we know the answer to that.) And Saito is wary about Heisuke's new loyalties. Their story will undoubtedly unfold.

Here are the songs that helped me get through this chapter:

"Jynweythek Ylow" – Aphex Twin (Chizuru's tour through the barracks)

"Feel it in my Bones" – Tegan and Sarah

"Lights" – Elli Goulding

"Keep Breathing" – Ingrid Michaelson

"Letters from Bolvanger" – Alexandre Desplat (Senhime/Chizuru scene)

Thank you so much for reading!

girliebird


	5. The Second Gate: Charm

**Chapter Five: _Second Gate: Charm_**

* * *

The great Oni of the West prided himself at being a man who always got what he wanted.

Heir to the demon throne, son of purebloods, and master of the demon arts, Chikage Kazama was immune to the paltry limitations set in place by feeble-minded humans.

A demon of his caliber could have the world at his feet if he so wished, thus desires were purely a wanton diversion.

Even so, he was only ever told 'no' twice in his prestigious young life.

The first instance had occurred when he was at the cusp of his adolescence. Born as an aloof and pensive child, he had few social skills and even fewer friends. His family kept a lofty distance from human society, so that he could have all the solitude in the world to dedicate to his ancestral powers. But the young lord often challenged his parents' authority, dissatisfied with their conventional ways, and sought to reinvent a new empire: one in which he walked the streets openly in his demon skin.

At the age thirteen, Kazama cleared the stone wall of his family's mansion and decided to do just that: walk into the neighboring village in full demon glamour. He hoped that the humans would look on him as a relic of their ancient gods, and welcome him with their heads pressed to the dirt of the streets. (His father was always saying something about how they loved to grovel in the dirt.) He would relish their adoration and manipulate them into a force the world had never seen.

But when he stumbled among a group of village boys, adoration did not bloom in their strange faces. They did not press their heads to the dirt, or cower in fear as he stood pale and golden in the sunlight. The utensils of their courtyard game were raised like weapons, and they advanced on him with primitive stealth.

The young lord took offence. How dare they raise their clubs to _him_, a son of noble blood? As if they could ever have the skill to inflict harm on a demon.

_These beings are not worth taking part in my grand plan, _he had construed without a blink of the eye. With his chikara burning in malevolent flames; he drew the katana strapped to his thin waist.

His father had stopped him. Told him no. The Prince of Demons did not tarnish his noble blood by murdering humans, and for his insolence, his own blood ran.

Kazama severed all interest in humans after that.

The second instance in which he was told 'no' was far more recent and staggering.

Chizuru Yukimura, pureblood heir to the Eastern demon clan, was in every way destined to be his. The union of their bloodlines would produce the most powerful oni family in history, and as king and queen, they could rule the land just as their ancestors had long-ago.

But images of the previous night flickered in his mind's eye and Kazama clenched his jaw in revulsion. He had won the duel, unarmed the infamous 'Demon' Vice-commander, and was set upon killing the impostor with one fatal swipe of his sword before the girl drew her own blade.

_Is she truly a demon_, he had wondered fleetingly. _How can she raise a sword to her own kind?_

Her erroneous actions had caused a standstill.

"Why do you defend these humans?" He sneered as the weakened lieutenant dared to wrap his arms around his intended mate covetously.

"Because I believe in them" She had answered.

Rejection was not something he faced even on the rarest of occasions. Powerful and handsome, Kazama was the most eligible demon bachelor alive. Females - regardless of oni or human descent - strove for his attention, falling prey to his sultry gaze. He never troubled himself with the art of courtship. Being able to promise Chizuru a life of prestige and wealth should have sealed their matrimony, but he hadn't anticipated for her to put up such a fight.

The most obvious and revolting explanation for her vigorous defiance was that she had festered an emotional bond to the Demon Vice-commander of the Shinsengumi.

The thought alone made Kazama's skin crawl.

For a pureblood to fall in love with a human…the Prince of Demons could not let such a thing stain his honor. Preemptive measures would have to be put in place if he were to secure his hold of Chizuru Yukimura.

_And speak of the devil_, He thought as the sound of rustling doors interrupted his quiet serenade.

"Itou Kashitarou," Kazama greeted in his languorous voice, "you've come at last."

The Captain of the Mausoleum's Guard strode into the tavern under the cover of darkness. Dressed heavily in black, one could suspect that Itou was carrying out a covert assignment. His shifty eyes took stock of the establishment, checking the shadows for danger as he found Kazama lingering by the windows overlooking the street.

"You are not the man I had arranged to meet tonight." He assessed. A thick parcel rested in his left hand like a paper fan, and he held it up to his lips cautiously.

"No, it was I who called on you." Kazama agreed as he pulled away from his perch to stand at a long wooden table. "That letter was forged. Sake?"

Itou recoiled.

"Who are you?"

"Names are irrelevant tonight. I know yours and that should suffice for now." Kazama groused as he helped himself to a plate of fresh dango. They were the house specialty in this unpleasant inn.

Uncertain of whether his nameless companion was friend or foe, Itou took his place on the other side of the table. "I think I deserve to know the nature of this meeting at the very least. The letter mentioned political subsidies-"

"Yes, I have a proposition for you to consider." The demon confirmed as he stuffed his mouth with a whole skewer of tri-colored dango. Chewing with ardent pleasure, the demon seated himself casually on the table's edge and asked, "Are you familiar with the Shinsengumi?"

Itou's careworn face dimmed at the mention of his previous encampment.

"If its information you want, it will come at a price."

The demon hummed in amusement.

"Your information holds no substance over me. It is _I_ who has information for you." He disclosed. As if to illustrate the leverage of his proposal, Kazama pushed the plate of dango across the table with a flick of his wrist and poured two scones of sake.

Intrigued, Itou consented to join him at the table.

"I'm listening." He deadpanned.

"My sources inform me that you've recently left the Shinsengumi. You no longer directly ally yourself with their faction."

"I was appointed Captain of the Mausoleum Guard." Itou professed. "My temporary connection to their division has ended."

"Oh, but I heard it was more than just a change of status that prompted you to leave." Kazama drawled with a bitter smile. "They were keeping something from you, weren't they? Information of their secret Rasetsu unit. That's why you left."

"H-how did you know?" He sputtered with bulbous eyes.

"Trust me, I also oppose the Shinsengumi." The demon commiserated as he leaned back against the table languidly. "Nothing would please me more than to see their most bloody and violent demise. That is why I have arranged this meeting. I believe my proposition can benefit our two parties indefinitely."

The captain angled his chin in thought.

"What is your proposition, Kimu-san?" He asked.

The demon laughed inwardly at the captain's makeshift name referencing his blond hair. This human was truly amusing with his hooded eyes, pursed lips, and androgynous mannerisms.

_Clearly he was born for deception_, Kazama grinned.

"There is a girl within their camp who disguises herself as a soldier. Do you remember her?" The demon prince inquired.

Itou frowned. "Yes, they called her Yukimura-kun. What about her?"

"Unlike those fake imitations they call "Rasetsu', Chizuru Yukimura is a _true_ demon. The Shinsengumi covet her like a precious jewel in the hopes that she can unveil the components of their Ochimizu drug." He confided with gleaming red eyes.

Itou paused. "Yukimura-kun is a demon?"

"A single drop of her blood can save a man from the verge of death." Kazama revealed. "Why do you think they protected her so adamantly? Surely you didn't think they took her on as a simple charity case."

"No." Itou contradicted with a slow shake of his head. His anthracite eyes flickered in contemplation. "I knew that something strange surrounded the girl, but I could never get close enough to inquire about her presence among the Mibu Wolves.

"They kept a close watch over her." He mouthed over the rim of his sake dish. Memories of an impulsive first division captain holding a katana at his neck with a flower bud resting on the edge of the steel rushed through Itou's mind, and everything suddenly made sense.

"I want you to separate her from the Shinsengumi." Kazama stated conclusively.

Itou choked, sputtering sake everywhere.

"Even the village _idiot_ is capable of realizing they haven't a shot against the Shinsengumi." He exclaimed indignantly. "Your opinion of me is insulting, Kimu-san, if you think I'm daft enough to waltz right into the wolf's den."

"Your endeavors would result in a hefty subvention." Kazama taunted.

"Keep your pocket book. It would take considerable compensation for such a task." Itou refused.

"Are you so afraid of them, Itou-san?" The honorific rolled off Kazama's tongue like a scathing insult. "Do they terrify you that much?"

"Of course not. It is not cowardice to appreciate the skill of your enemy." He denounced with crossed arms.

"Their skill is in numbers, not strength. Eradicate that, and the Mibu Wolves become easy pickings." The demon gloated.

"What is your motive for securing the girl?" Itou questioned. "Why go to so much trouble?"

Kazama flashed a dangerous smile that reached all the way to his golden eyes.

"Because I am a man who always gets what he wants."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chizuru sneezed causing a mini explosion of crushed powder into the air.

"Oh dear." Senhime coughed as she fanned the air with the sleeves of her kimono. "Either someone is harboring some intense feelings for you, or you have an adverse reaction to makeup."

"I think it's the latter of the two." Chizuru wheezed. "I'm not very accustomed to wearing cosmetics."

Kimigiku sighed as she forced Chizuru to sit still, so she could continue dusting her cheeks and forehead.

"Every woman should know the art of beauty, Yukimura." She chastised with a flourish of her brush. "Beauty is power and power is liberation. Think of makeup as a woman's war paint."

She placed the box of powder into a beveled chest and pulled out a container of rouge.

"Kimi-chan is right. You should take pride in being a woman." Senhime encouraged with her own facial features coated in a soft dusting of powder and blush. Her carmine eyes sparkled with an iridescent sheen where the kunoichi had daubed green shadow. Dressed in her customary viridian kimono and silk shawl, Chizuru thought Senhime looked like a flower of paradise.

"I still don't understand how this had anything to do with my training." She commented with an arched brow.

"Clearing the First Gate is one of the most difficult lessons of the demon arts." Senhime explained as she tightened the ordainments in her student's coiled hair. "Considering how beautifully you've done, I thought we could learn something fun for a change."

Senhime's words rang true; Chizuru had managed to clear the First Gate of the Demon Arts in only three days. After her dream encounter with the akuma no chikara the night Hijikata came to her, Chizuru found it easier to traverse into the dark void of her subconscious. The connection grew stronger and stronger, until the end of the third day she burst into a cloud of pure cobalt light.

Chizuru had never felt so powerful.

But by syncing with her demon power, Chizuru started to notice changes in her physique.

For one, she ate like a horse. Maintaining the power required lots of fuel, so Senhime reversed her diagnosis and forced her student to eat three bowls of rice at every meal. Chizuru didn't need much persuasion to follow orders; she was always starving.

She also had heightened reflexes that happened of their own accord now. Sanosuke had bumped into her one morning while on their way to the conference room for a meeting and nearly knocked the tray of tea she held in her hands. The old Chizuru would have ended up with a puddle of tea and a cracked mug, but the new Chizuru righted herself with feline grace and caught the mug. Not a single drop of tea spilt.

Another change – and probably the most irritating – was Chizuru's inability to control her akuma no chikara. It was a new routine for her to randomly self-combust. In her sleep, getting dressed, doing dishes… In fact, it was just yesterday afternoon she had been sweeping the courtyard when she burst into blue flames.

Unfortunately for her, Shinpachi had seen.

"OH MY GOD, CHIZURU, YOU'RE ON FIRE!" He screeched as he raced to her side.

Disrobing himself of his Shinsengumi shroud, he threw it over her smoldering body before she could protest. Swaddling her like an infant, the captain patted her back and shoulders furiously trying to distinguish the phantom fire. The onslaught caused her to stagger, but with her head covered with silk, she was unable to calm his fears before her chikara began to consume the _both_ of them.

Shinpachi screamed.

"I'M – I'M ON FIRE!"

He turned to patting the both of them into a bloody pulp.

"QUICK, CHIZURU, STOP DROP AND ROLL! STOP DROP AND ROLL!" He barked as he tried to pull her to the sodden ground.

Shinpachi was panicking, and the only direct solution to the problem that Chizuru could see was to stop him screaming long enough for her to focus on suppressing her demon power.

So, she whacked him with the broom.

Somewhere across the compound, Okita chuckled himself into a coughing fit.

"Yes, my own ingenuity amazes me sometimes." Senhime gloated as she pulled Chizuru back into the conversation. "If only I could have thought of this when _I_ had to clear the First Gate. It would have saved us all a lengthy diatribe in poems from my youth."

"She was quite the introvert." Kimigiku confide in Chizuru sarcastically. "Now, rub your lips together."

Chizuru did as she was told while Kimigiku put the lip color away and pulled out a large jade-handled mirror. Holding it in front of Chizuru, she murmured, "Take a look."

Chizuru's eyes widened in disbelief.

The young woman gazing back at her through the gilded mirror was a vision Chizuru had never seen before. With a face as white as porcelain, she looked every bit the part of the Japanese aristocracy portrayed in the famous woodblock prints kept in the compound's library. The transformation was astounding.

Senhime had lent her a gorgeous coral kimono with a subtle white feather motif trailing down her back and sleeves. The color was saturated enough to bounce off her creamy complexion and Chizuru felt as elegant as a heron. Pink blossoms from the sakura trees lining the estate were pinned into her hair along with an elaborate arrangement of gold ordainments. When Chizuru turned her head around, she could hear the delicate tinkling of her metal hair chimes.

"Is that…me?" She touched her cheek gingerly. It was strange to watch her red lips move.

Senhime and Kimigiku stood back to appreciate their work.

"Dressed like this, she should be a natural at passing the Second Gate." The demon foretold with a smug grin.

Kimigiku whistled her agreement.

"Osen-chan, what _is_ the Second Gate?" Chizuru questioned as she peered over the rim of the mirror. "What could I possibly have to learn from wearing kimono and lip stick?"

"Part of being a demon, Chizuru, is engaging in well-mannered, superfluous frivolity." Senhime sung as she unfurled a silk fan and held it just to the curve of her cheekbone. In a beguiling voice, she added, "The Second Gate is all about…_charm_."

"Charm." Chizuru deadpanned.

Senhime swatted her with the silk fan.

"Don't look so put out, Chizuru. Our lesson's just begun." She scolded. "Now that you have awakened your power, it is time for you to learn how to perform the Three Deadly Virtues. Hex Gaze is the First Deadly Virtue."

Now _that_ intrigued Chizuru. "Okay, I'm listening."

"As its name suggests, Hex Gaze is the ability to channel chikara through your eyes." Senhime expounded with a graceful swish of her fan. "Have you ever watched snake charming before?"

In truth, Chizuru had not, but she had once come across a set of illustrations from one of her father's foreign anthologies. It detailed the connection between charmer and reptile, showing how the snake swayed to the melody of the flute in a deep trance.

"You're implying that Hex Gaze is a lot like snake charming." She surmised.

Senhime nodded.

"When performed correctly, a demon can hypnotize their victim just through eyesight alone. It is the subtle combination of voice and body language that completes the overall enchantment." She confirmed. "In the context of snake charming: you are the charmer, and your victim is the snake."

"Does it work on anyone?" Chizuru questioned anxiously.

"Hex Gaze works on humans, but not other demons." Senhime affirmed. As if in tune to Chizuru's thoughts, she added, "so bewitching Kazama to leave your Shinsengumi alone is out of the question."

Chizuru snapped her fingers. _Of course, it would have limitations._

"Are you ready to give it a try?" Senhime nudged.

"Um…now?"

With all this talk of charm and allure, Chizuru had failed to remember that she was being groomed for her next lesson.

"Yes, _now_. We're all dressed up aren't we?" beamed Senhime before she signaled the kunoichi. "Kimigiku, assemble the prey."

Before Chizuru could protest, the kunoichi sidled to the screen doors and pushed them open to reveal two captains kneeling on the wooden terrace. Shinpachi and Sanosuke had their hands in their laps and their heads bent in a formal gesture of greeting.

"Now's your chance to be the snake charmer." Senhime whispered to Chizuru behind her silk fan before getting up to welcome the captains.

"Shinpachi-san, Sanosuke-san, thank you so much for coming today."

"We were informed of an emergency that needed resolving." The spearman responded critically.

Shinpachi stirred from his reclined position on the veranda, "Where's Chizuru? Is she alright? Is she hurt? What is the emergency?"

Senhime bit her lip, trying to contain her laughter.

"Um…yes, well I may have exaggerated just a little." She admitted as she pinched her thumb and index finger together. "The emergency is Chizuru's training, and the urgency is due to the fact that we have tea and cakes."

Both captains appeared momentarily bereft, as they glanced at each other.

"Wait…what?" Shinpachi flushed.

Sanosuke rubbed his neck with a grimace. "I think we've just been invited to tea."

"Yes, will you please come in?" Senhime clapped her hands together. "Chizuru, could you bring the tea to the table? I believe the cakes have already been laid out."

Kimigiku shoved a ceramic tea pot into Chizuru's vacant hands and ushered her forward into the drawing room where Shinpachi, Sanosuke, and Senhime were gathering around the kotatsu table.

"I'll monitor from back here." She declared. "Good luck."

Chizuru blanched underneath her ivory powder.

Senhime wanted her to practice the First Deadly Virtue on _them_? But it was way too soon. Senhime had offered little to no instructions on how to perform Hex Gaze, and Chizuru couldn't subject her friends to demon glamour. What had Senhime meant by her becoming a snake charmer anyway?

Would she have to – gods help her - _flirt_ to pass the Second Gate?

_Pull it together. Pull it together. _She chanted silently as she walked into the room.

Her metal hair ordainments announced her approach as if she were a walking wind chime.

"Hello Shinpachi-san, Sanosuke-san." She greeted as she sat gracefully at the table. The aforementioned captains gazed at her with open expressions.

"Chizuru-chan…is that you?!" Sanosuke blinked in bafflement. His golden eyes swept her girlish hair and clothes with eyebrows that receded far into his scarlet hair line. "You look more stunning then our night in the tea house."

His comment brought a blush to her pale cheeks, and she quickly pulled a sleeve up to hover before her lips.

"You do look different, Yukimura." Shinpachi agreed as he analyzed the changes in her face. "That kimono suits you."

Chizuru could still see the angry red mark the broom had left on his forehead when she whacked him. Guilty over her actions, she averted her gaze.

"Thank you." She murmured.

With the way they were positioned around the table, Senhime could place a hand over Chizuru's without the captains noticing. With sparkling carmine eyes, the demoness smirked at her student before delving into the craft of Hex Gaze.

"Shinpachi-san, would you be so kind as to pour our tea for us?" She purred.

The request was innocent, but Chizuru could feel Senhime's chikara flicker to life as she lulled her voice into a melody. She angled her head so that her cheek ghosted over the top of her shoulder in a feminine gesture, and she leaned her torso into Shinpachi's general direction. The second division captain grew slack-jawed as he stared deeply into her eyes. Falling prey to her hypnosis was inevitable.

_She's amazing._ Chizuru thought in awe.

Shinpachi lurched to his feet with uncustomary vivacity.

"Of course, Senhime-san! Would you prefer sugar? Cinnamon? Honey for your tea?" He chatted as he hastily reached across the table to fill all four mugs. His actions were discombobulated and clumsy, causing the other captain to scowl.

"What's gotten into you, Nagakura?" Sanosuke growled as a mug was thrust into his hands. Molten liquid spilt from over the rim of the glass onto his skin, making him hiss from the heat. "OUCH! Hot, hot, hot!"

"Here, have a pastry." Shinpachi replied as he unceremoniously stuffed it into his colleague's gaping mouth. Sanosuke began to choke.

"Harada-san, are you okay?" Chizuru asked.

The tenth division captain struggled for breath as he forced the pastry down his unsuspecting esophagus.

Senhime fell into peals of laughter.

"Thank you, Shinpachi-san. Why don't you help yourself to a few of the cream cakes?" She goaded next with fluttering eyelashes. Shinpachi began stuffing his own mouth with three or four cakes until his cheeks were bulging like a chipmunk's.

"What the hell, man?!" Sanosuke gasped with hands around his throat. "You're acting like an idiot. Stop stuffing your face like that."

Senhime nudged Chizuru's shoulder and nodded toward the redhead. "Your turn."

She gulped.

_Alright, here goes nothing._ Chizuru mentally braced herself as she prepared to imitate her mentor's captivating performance. Leaning across the table, she caught Sanosuke's attention and smiled.

"H-Harada-san…I…I was wondering i-if you-"

"What's the matter Chizuru? Do you have something caught in your eye?" He asked, momentarily distracted from Shinpachi's slovenly display.

She had been trying to flutter her eyelashes like Senhime, but evidently failed at making it look natural. It probably looked like she had a bug in her eye.

"Um no…," she faltered. Switching her approach from demure to forward, she focused on the inner hum of her demon power for confidence. "I was wondering if you could…"

Spotting an ostentatious silk tea cozy resting at the edge of the table, she gushed, "Please wear that as a hat, Harada-san."

_What am I doing?_ Chizuru thought blindly. The words had just tumbled out of her mouth of their own jurisdiction.

"Wear it on my head?" He murmured with a confused expression. "Why?"

"More guile and less stuttering." Senhime instructed under her breathe. "Lure him with your eyes first. Then make your demands."

With hot cheeks, Chizuru prepared herself for another attempt. Rolling back her shoulders, she perched herself against the table's edge and peered intensely into the spearman's golden eyes – trying to suppress the urge to blink. The subtle vibrations of her chikara grew in strength and she willed it to cast a net over him.

To her horror, all consciousness was snuffed out of Sanosuke's eyes as he stared back at her with an empty expression. A small bit of drool formed at the corner of his open mouth and began to dribble down his chin.

"You're using way too much power, Chizuru! Ease up. You don't want to make the man _comatose_." Senhime intoned as she persuaded Shinpachi to engage in a sorrowful lament. His voice bellowed in the background, rasping unattractively from the incredible high pitch he was trying to reach. He was not a natural-born soprano.

_This is insane!_ Chizuru complained with a sharp sigh. _How do I balance everything out evenly?_

Senhime hadn't been lying when she said this was a subtle art. It wasn't enough to delve into her demon power; Chizuru would have to divulge her more…sensual side.

_If I can pass the First Gate, I will pass the Second Gate_, she vowed with a low growl.

Standing up from the table, she rounded the corner until she was sitting side-by-side with Sanosuke. The redhead was still peering at her with a dreamy expression on his face, but she quickly wiped the drool away from his mouth with a linen napkin before reeling her power back in.

"Sanosuke-_kun_," She gushed with large chocolate eyes, "it would please me… _immensely_…if you wore that dashing tea cozy on your head like a hat."

Chizuru angled her body toward the spearman, but pulled her head back so that she gazed at him through thick lashes. The adjustment in chikara had seemed to pull Sanosuke just out of reach of a coma, yet he was still very much under her influence. She watched anxiously as his bullion gaze lowered to the lush line of her lips. He drew closer to her like a snake to the flute, hovering in front of her face.

"I should want nothing more than to please you, Chizuru-chan." He voiced as his eyes descended to the collarbone peeking from the cut of her kimono.

Chizuru struggled to maintain the illusion as her heart began to pound against her rib cage. Even so, she would see this through to the end.

"Then you know what to do." She hummed with a sly smile.

Harada Sanosuke killed the last shred of masculine fire burning brightly in his heart as he donned the silky, sequenced tea cozy.

_Hot damn._

Senhime's eyes widened in surprised pleasure as she watched Chizuru successfully enrapture the captain into her Hex Gaze. The girl would get herself into some _very_ dangerous predicaments if she talked to a man like that without her demon power. The magnitude of Chizuru's potential was nearly overwhelming. A true temptress lurked underneath that pristine pale skin of hers, and Senhime's neck prickled with excitement.

_I may have just gained myself a Hex Gaze apprentice_, she grinned proudly.

"Good." She complimented her starling student. "No let's see how far we can take this, shall we?"

A rapacious gleam flickered in Chizuru's amber eyes, exposing a trace of her inherent power. Either it was a trick of the light or Senhime's imagination that led her to believe that Chizuru was beginning to enjoy her intrinsic abilities.

"Yes, Shishou." She purred.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, the ladies are in full glamour mode. Senhime's approach is a little abrupt, what with tossing Chizuru to the wolves (hey, I made a pun), but she knows that the girl has a tendency to rise to action when the moment calls for it. Very intuitive of Senhime. Also, I think I may have displayed my affection for Sanosuke Harada by pairing him with Chizuru for the Hex Gaze lesson. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I have a soft spot for red heads.

Kazama and Itou are obviously up to no good and they have just joined forces against the Shinsengumi. But don't worry; Chizuru's emotional and physical prowess is only going to continue to get stronger.

Here is the music that helped inspire this chapter:

"1940 (String Quartet Remix)" – The Submarines (Kazama/Itou scene)

"Becoming a Geisha" – John Williams (Chizuru's Transformation)

"The Slug Party" – Nicholas Hooper (Hex Gaze Scene)

Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoy this story, please leave a review! (They keep me motivated to write.)

girliebird


	6. The Repercussions of Hex Gaze

**Chapter Six: _The Repercussions of Hex Gaze_**

* * *

It was the sudden sound of a careening voice that disturbed a perfectly perfunctory meeting. Normally, disturbances like this were often left to the sentinel within the compound to subdue; however, this noise was so warped; it was as if death itself was ringing from a set of putrid lungs.

"Is that Nagakura-kun?" Kondo questioned as his eyes traveled across the ceiling trying to pinpoint the origin of the caterwauling.

"I think he may have just stabbed himself with his own sword," fumed Hijikata through a taunt jaw. The incessant noise grated on his ears causing him to flinch.

"That's not Seppuku, Hijikata-san," Sannan intoned with a shake of his head, "I think that's our Shinpachi-san trying to…_sing_."

Hijikata offered him the most incredulous look.

"Your nights as a Rasetsu must have twisted your cultural taste, Sannan-san, if you consider that singing." The oni-fukuchou glowered sourly. "Why the hell is he not on duty? Rotations should have occurred by now."

"He and Harada-san received urgent orders to report to the south central barracks earlier this afternoon." Inoue informed over the rim of his tea mug. "Something about Yukimura needing assistance with her training."

A muscle twitched in Hijikata's throat, and he raked his daunting eyes over Inoue instead.

"What was that?" He asked.

Realizing that he had just frolicked head-on into hazardous territory, Inoue lowered his mug from his lips and coughed.

"Ah well yes, the kunoichi approached the pair of them with a message this afternoon."

The Demon Vice-commander's gaze slivered like crescent moons.

"And the message was from whom, exactly?" He drawled in a chilling decorous voice.

Inoue rubbed his neck with a grimace. "From Miss Senhime-san, sir."

Inoue could have inflicted the most horrendous insult in the history of insolence, and Hijikata _still_ probably would not have reacted quite as strongly as hearing the name of his female adversary.

An audible _tsk_ sounded in the back of his throat as Hijikata drew to his full, intimidating height.

Hadn't it occurred to Inoue that the demoness had probably intended to use his men – _his_ _men_ \- as test subjects? It was not enough to entangle Chizuru into her mischievous plans, but she had to start harassing his high ranking officers too?

Shinpachi's painfully crooning voice filtered into the room once more, and the oni-fukuchou bared his teeth. Instilling a sort of wordless threat upon the other occupants of the room, Hijikata stalked through the doors like some dark antihero set on a path of self-righteous vengeance. The palpable cloud of hatred left with him.

"Kami."

"Shit."

"Almighty cripes in hell."

"I thought you said that Okita spoke with Hijikata the other night? Why is he still harboring so much hatred?" Sannan reprimanded the Head Commander with steely eyes.

Kondo raised his hands in self-defense. "He did. Souji even went as far as to gloat that Toshi had given in to his advice and approached the girl."

Inoue dropped his head into his hands. "It's not Yukimura he's angry with, its Senhime-san. I shouldn't have said anything, Kondo-san. It's my fault."

"Don't trouble yourself over Toshi's tantrums." The Head Commander reproved. "Senhime-san has already proven to be a capable young woman. If anything, we should allow this little rivalry to run its course. It's for the best."

"I'm not sure I quite agree with you, Kondo-san, but I guess we'll figure out the outcome sooner than later." Sannan sighed with a thin smile. "More tea anyone?"

. . . . . . . . .

Things had managed to escalate to such a point that Chizuru started to feel smothered by the sweets and silks of Senhime's drawing room. Hex Gaze had proven to be a sport that required control, aptitude, and tremendous amounts of manipulation that somehow didn't sit quite right on her virtuous constitution.

She needed some fresh air to reflect.

Withdrawing from the barracks, Chizuru lifted her nose to the fragrant air of the outdoors and sighed. Sunlight streamed across the veranda in the late afternoon hour, and she contemplated vaguely about whether or not she could get away with dozing off near the edge in her heavy silks.

Kami, she was tired all of a sudden.

Drifting away from the room that still harbored two fully entranced captains (she had left Senhime the responsibility of breaking their trances before Shinpachi shredded his throat to pieces), Chizuru meandered along the eaves of the terrace toward the north part of the building – hair chimes tinkling and kimono fluttering in the light breeze.

It wasn't Hex Gaze that had troubled her conscious for the past hour. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Gaining the ability to manifest and control her demon power had not only given her an opportunity to burn away some excess energy- as was evident with her sudden exhaustion - but a sense of authority she never knew she was capable of exalting.

The way Sanosuke had bended to her every command…Chizuru had enjoyed it a little _too_ much. And this was the source of her concern. Hex Gaze was a potent and lethal weapon if she chose it to be; to find enjoyment in such a dangerous power was not entirely ethical.

As if to prove this assessment true, Chizuru's aimless wandering ceased abruptly as she found herself in the company of morality himself.

"What are you doing here?"

Hijikata stood with the eminence of a war lord – eyes cold, shoulders broad, and a voice as chilling as early morning frost. Bands of golden sunlight ran through his hair and along the ridge of his cheekbone giving him an otherworldly glow that stilled the air in Chizuru's lungs. It was a glorious warmth, but a warmth that could not diminish the severity in his expression as he regarded her like a stranger.

Chizuru's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Could he not recognize her at all?

"Hijikata-san, it's me, Chizuru." She answered with a weak smile. Her heart was pounding with the force of a hummingbird's wings, but she managed to suppress her increasing feelings of hysteria.

Hijikata's eyes tapered. "Chizuru?"

Dropping his gaze to analyze every inch of her lavish attire, he started with her linen tabi socks and ended with her dark, solid red lips. The motion was slow and dangerous eliciting a strange sensation of heat in Chizuru's belly. She began to swelter in her layers of silk. Normally a stare of that magnitude from a man would clear any justifications for a slap to the face, but Chizuru was in the wake of the formidable Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi and he was looking at _her_ as if she were a vision he had never seen before.

To reject her feelings of elation at having his undivided attention would place her in a state of unnecessary denial. And if the First Deadly Virtue had taught her anything, it was that nothing was unnecessary. Every word, every move, every _glance_ had a purpose.

Unknowingly, Hijikata had just revealed everything in that single look.

"Yes, it's me." She confirmed. The metal hair chimes tinkled delicately as she tilted her face.

Three things could have happened immediately following this moment. One, Hijikata could have scowled at her in disapproval at the amount of face paint she was wearing. Two, he could have scowled at her in disapproval for ditching her lesson. Or three, Hijikata could have just scowled in general.

What Chizuru had _not_ anticipated; however, was his sudden siege of her right wrist as he whisked her into one of the unused rooms behind her.

"Hijikata-san!" She protested breathlessly.

"I can't have you walk around the compound like this, Chizuru. You would upset the men." He explained as he scanned the complex for any signs of unwanted spectators.

Chizuru caught the small endearment laced in his otherwise indifferent words, and felt the corners of her mouth tug into a playful grin. Placing the blame on the side effects of Hex Gaze, she boldly asked, "Am I to take that as a compliment, Commander?"

Hijikata froze.

That familiar voice had certainly come from Chizuru, but it resonated in his ears with an attractive ring that subsequently matched the fiery shade of her lips. Turning around to face her, the lieutenant found his ward standing with hands clasped in front of the green sash wrapped around her thin waist and the majority of her weight placed on one foot while the other curved gently against her frame. Her current stance was much more feminine and relaxed than the one she usually maintained in order to keep her façade as a young soldier, and he was blatantly reminded of how lovely she was.

Without taking his eyes from her face, he slowly drew the shoji screen closed behind him.

Chizuru gulped.

She caught the slightest conflict smolder beneath those lavender eyes of his as he gazed at her with some unspoken emotion. She instantly began to regret her daring words.

Hijikata took a deliberate step forward, his gaze slivering diminutively.

"Do you wish for a compliment, Chizuru?" He drawled in a voice that set her on edge. The tone was just dark enough to send shivers down her spine.

Honestly, she did not. His eyes had already expressed his thoughts of her appearance, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious to know what he had to say.

"The art of kimono is an arduous task," she responded, "to know the nature of your approval would make the effort all the more worthwhile."

She didn't enlist the help of her demon power, but let the slanted angle of her shoulder blades do her hypnosis for her. The motion was not lost on the oni-fukuchou as he drank in the shadow of her thin collar bone and took another step forward.

"You are acting…unusual" He voiced his thoughts out loud with minor vexation. "I had originally come here with intent of liberating my captains from your mentor's grasp, but you have succeeded in momentarily distracting me."

Those weren't exactly words of flattery, but Chizuru knew that that was as close to an honest compliment that she would ever receive from the stoic lieutenant. The ivory powder masked the blush that crept across her cheeks, but her small step of retreat alerted Hijikata that her poise was faltering.

He smirked inwardly. Chizuru had probably chosen the worst time to provoke his more wicked temperament.

"Why are you so dressed up, Chizuru?" He interrogated as he drew closer.

Without her chikara, she realized that her teasing had backfired and that Hijikata was an uninhibited serpent ready to strike (in the context of snake charming, of course).

Glancing around the room, she quickly realized that she had trapped herself in a corner.

"It is part of my training, Hijikata-san." She answered with false levelness. "Osen-chan and Kimigiku-san believed it would be a nice change of pace to dress up in kimono. I'm not sure I can tell you precisely _why_ I'm dressed up though."

The oni-fukuchou considered her words with a clench of his jaw.

"Is that so?" He murmured. "You broke another one of my rules, Yukimura. Or have you already forgotten my conditions?"

"N-no, I haven't." She stuttered. Chizuru's chest began to rise and fall rapidly as her breathing became shallow.

"Then unless you give me a good reason for this breach in conduct, I will have no choice but to administer some manner of punishment." He threatened in an eerily soft voice. Lifting a hand with deft grace, he trailed a finger along the hair chime by her left temple making her startle.

"Why was Shinpachi screaming?" He asked.

Cornered, trapped, and defenseless Chizuru realized that he was leaving her no room for evasion. His face was so precariously close to hers, she could differentiate the bands of indigo and purple in his irises. At such a range, it would be simple for her to employ Hex Gaze on the lieutenant, but she knew the attempt could be suicidal. Panic was not an agent of proper chikara control which meant she could either risk placing him into a coma or completely compromising the intel of her training. Either risk would ultimately result in disaster.

As if sensing her dire plight, her body acted of its own accord by initializing her most recent safety mechanism.

She burst into flames.

"Whoa!" Chizuru gasped as her vision swam with cobalt. Wrapping her arms across her torso, she prayed that the flames would cease immediately. It was the first time she had lost control in front of Hijikata.

"Calm down, calm down, calm down." She chanted in mortification.

The Demon Vice-commander regarded her with silent astonishment as he took in the physical manifestation of her demon power for the first time. He had overheard Shinpachi's account of the incident that occurred yesterday in the courtyard, but it was something _entirely_ different to witness first hand. Unlike natural fire, Chizuru's demon flames were devoid of any heat and curled around her body like an intense aura.

It was something so compelling, he found himself unable to look away.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he watched her brace a hand against the wall.

Chizuru had dropped her face into her other hand as if overcome by embarrassment.

"I'm fine." She answered after a moment. "Osen-chan says this is typical of demons when they first awaken their power. It will take time in order for me to control it."

A small frown touched his lips. "Does it hurt?"

Chizuru peeked at him through her fingers curiously.

"No." She responded with a troubled expression. "It's just very hard to suppress once I've lost control like this."

Pressing her back against the wall, Chizuru closed her eyes and tried to find her equilibrium – something that would be very difficult to do with Hijikata standing barely two feet away. The random combustion must have spurred his curiosity for he continued to ask her questions.

"What causes this to happen?"

"Osen-chan believes certain emotions have the ability to stimulate the manifestation process. She calls them 'enabling factors'." She explained as she recollected her late night discussion with Senhime after the first few times she combusted. The demoness had assured her that it was a perfectly normal phenomenon for young oni, and that it would not harm her in anyway. As long as she kept her emotions in check, it would be less likely to happen.

Senhime had also asked her to refrain from revealing information of her training, but Chizuru felt this was unavoidable due to the fact that two officers had now witnessed the physicality of her akuma no chikara. As much as she wanted to abide by her mentor's orders, Hijikata had also made if perfectly clear that he wasn't leaving this room without some answers.

Resigning herself to temporary acquiescence, she indulged his curiosity.

"The more potent the emotion, the more liable my power is to burst."

She could tell the gears in his mind were working, because he always drew his brows downward in a slight frown whenever he was heavy in thought.

He stared at her questioningly.

"And what emotions would those be?"

Chizuru found it strange but not entirely surprising that he would want to know the specifics. Perhaps if he had the right information, he could help her find a remedy to this unfortunate habit.

"Oh you know: fear, stress, anger…l-lust." Chizuru faltered at the mentioning of that last word and found herself unable to meet the lieutenant's gaze.

She knew exactly what had caused her to spark.

Clearly, Hijikata did too for his lips spread into an unmistakable smirk.

"Am I to take this as a compliment, Yukimura?" He echoed her words from earlier with a voice as rich as silk.

Her flames betrayed her resulting in a large flair of light.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." He intoned as his smirk spread into a wolfish grin.

A small sound of anguish escaped her lips as Chizuru hid her face in her hands once more.

"You're mean, Hijikata-san." She mumbled.

Whatever resentment the oni-fukuchou had felt prior to running into Chizuru evaporated amid her blue fire, and was replaced by something much more devious. Unable to help himself, Hijikata marveled over the amount of influence he had over his ward. It was obvious he made her nervous to some extent. She was like a coiled spring whenever his presence was near and she always struggled to remain calm if he fixed his gaze on her for too long. After the callous way he brought her to the Shinsengumi as a prisoner, Hijikata almost expected it.

What he did _not_ expect; however, was to find her outside of the barracks alone wrapped in a rich kimono with an uncharacteristically alluring disposition emanating from her taunting gaze as she asked him for flattery, no less.

Did Chizuru – perhaps – harbor feelings of affection for him?

The manner in which her power completely engulfed her told him yes, yes she did.

Hijikata frowned, unable to decipher the strange sensation running through him. Sweeping his gaze over her once more, he suddenly had the incessant urge to define the precise nature of Chizuru's affection.

The deadly swordsman hooked a finger under her chin to draw her close and smelled the sweet perfume of her hair. Idly, he wondered if she washed her hair with crushed lilies to achieve such a palpable fragrance.

"On the contrary, I can be quite nice." He argued in a honeyed voice that made her visibly tense. "For instance, I'll have you know that you look lovely in that kimono, Chizuru."

Her eyes unwillingly locked with his, and he marveled at how elusive they shined against the azure light. It was like peering into pools of copper.

"Thank you, Hijikata-san, but that isn't helping." She admitted with a frown.

She was hiding something from him. He could tell because she was going through the motions of donning her tranquil façade. Another one of his nasty habits, he thought with an inward sigh. One of these days, he was really going to have to break her of his bad habits.

Tilting his head, he intentionally played ignorant as he asked, "Would it help if I continued?"

Chizuru strained against his hold to shake her head. One wrong move and her mouth would brush his.

"No." She pleaded. "I-it would be best if you didn't talk at all."

He watched her lips move as she spoke.

"Then perhaps I should move closer?" He taunted without lifting his gaze.

Held suspended in a moment of time, Chizuru was at war with herself. Hijikata was just a breath away, practically teasing her with his nearness, and her chikara was beginning to reach out to him in turn. She wanted to give into him. She wanted to so badly, but the principle of the situation was that _she_ was the master of her power, not the other way around. To allow her chikara to grow so uncontrollable was almost shameful. She should be better than that.

But, _gods_ he was so gorgeous! There right in front of her with eyes as luminous as freshwater pearls and a head of hair that promised to be glossy to the touch. Chizuru faintly wondered what woman alive could refuse the Demon vice-commander, and have her wits about her?

With her chin perched on his index finger, all he had to do was angle her face a fraction of an inch, and it would all be over. The tension, the anxiety, the angst… But being the iconic gentleman that he was, Hijikata was allowing her the honor to bridge the gap.

It was a silent challenge of personal will.

Chizuru began to imagine Senhime and how she would react to a situation like this, but the attempt was futile. Sounds of a shoji screen being drawn open captured their attention and they immediately withdrew from each other. Peering at the intruder, Chizuru discovered Senhime, Kimigiku, Sanosuke, and Shinpachi all staring with a collective amount of shock.

Chizuru sighed.

This would not bode over well.

* * *

**A/N:** Phew! Talk about pure, concentrated, 100% genuine sexual tension. Chizuru really needs to be careful when it comes to flirting with an emotionally unhinged Hijikata. He pretty much turned the tables and had _her_ caught in a Hex Gaze – and he doesn't even have demon power for crying out loud! If Senhime and Kimigiku had been commentating during this scene, I think they would be screaming for her to go ahead and put him in a coma. Or jump all 206 of his bones. (You never know with those two.)

I genuinely hope you are enjoying reading this every bit as much as I enjoy writing it. So far the story had been relatively light, which I like, but the next few chapters will become aggressively more action-packed.

Here is the soundtrack that inspired this chapter:

"What Have I Done" – Anna Ternheim

"Coming Back" – Gotye (Chizuru/Hijikata Scene)

Thank you so much for reading.

girliebird


	7. The Third Gate: Defense

**Chapter Seven: _Third Gate: Defense_**

* * *

It was a common assertion that the Demon Vice-Commander embodied the strongest work ethic in headquarters (no argument whatsoever). But if there was one person who rivaled Hijikata's excessively high standards, the reputation fell to Yamazaki.

When he had first joined the Shinsengumi, it had become apparent that his strongest proficiency was in tactical stealth and espionage.

He was most gifted with hidden observation. He could slip into a crowd or eavesdrop without detection, which is the reason why many of the captains didn't realize he even existed among the recruits until Yamazaki _wanted_ them to discover otherwise. He also had an aptitude for recalling incredible amounts of detail from a fleeting glance. Things like anomalies, insignias, habits, and mannerisms…he could remember anything and everything about a particular person after a single encounter.

But his strongest – if not surest – gift was the ability to formulate valid assumptions based from an array of split-second assessments. When his intuition spoke, it was hardly ever wrong.

Because of these talents, he was given the position as Secret Agent of the Shinsengumi, the first and only of his specialized division.

Although he enjoyed the meticulous work, gaining an adrenaline rush from his covert assignments, Yamazaki knew the disadvantages to being a spy.

For one, it involved long hours of immobility in usually tight, uncomfortable places. His days off from the field were usually spent maintaining his elasticity and increasing his stamina. Working conditions were often unpredictable. He always had to be prepared for the worst come rain or shine. But as much hardship as he endured, there were a _few_ perks to being a spy.

Sinking his teeth into a sweet bean bun he purchased from a purveyor across the street, Yamazaki relished the early morning hour as he surveyed the textile factory.

He had sent several briefing reports back to the compound since his initial warning of the rebels' mobility. But instead of detailing their increased efforts, Yamazaki was pressed to inform the Shinsengumi that they were _still_ biding their time in the industrial part of town. It had entered his mind that perhaps these rebels were all bravado and no bite – a notion that sent the Shinsengumi spy into a state of vexation.

If things didn't progress soon, he would have no choice but to abandon his post.

He was scheduled to meet Hajime Saito any day now.

As if on cue, the affluent merchant Tadao pulled aside the metal-pleated doors of the factory to make room for a small cart. The top had been covered by a dark oilcloth masking the contents from view, but Yamazaki's acute senses caught the familiar sounds of forged metal.

Sword metal.

"This shipment is to be delivered to the fortress _before_ dusk." Tadao ordered a pair of comrades that sauntered behind him. Yamazaki soaked in their appearances, and noted their nondescript clothing. Dressed like common civilians, they would be able to meander through the city undetected.

"If I catch wind that you were late in fulfilling this task by a single minute, I'll have your bowels removed." The merchant threatened in a steely voice. "And if you should run into trouble; eliminate it."

The men voiced their understanding before taking the shafts of the cart and tugging it along the street away from the city.

Yamazaki finished his breakfast in one swift bite before rolling his shoulders eager for the chase.

Perhaps _now_, he would have something riveting to report back to base. All this sitting around and waiting simply would not do.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Using a wash cloth and warm water, Chizuru thoroughly scrubbed her face trying in vain to erase the feminine illusion from yesterday. But no matter how hard she scrubbed, her lips were still darker than their natural hue, and her eyes were still framed with black kohl that absolutely, irrevocably _refused_ to disappear.

If left like this, her real identity was in jeopardy of being exposed.

Fortunately, the flowers had already been combed out of her hair, and the kimono that Senhime had lent her was hanging from the changing screen to be aired out. With it becoming apparent that masquerading in kimono led to sticky situations, Chizuru stepped into her uniform with newfound appreciation. At least this way, she could hide behind the façade of a soldier and deflect any unwanted attention.

The only thing she could not hide; however, were two very rosy cheeks.

Wringing the cloth between her fingers, Chizuru slumped against the mirror.

He had almost kissed her. Almost.

That fact alone was enough to keep her tossing and turning last night, as she ran through the scene in her mind countless times.

If the pivotal moment had not been interrupted…how would the rest of the scene have played out? Would she have given in? Balked? Consumed the both of them in her blue fire? And for that matter, when had Hijikata become so bold? Just a few days ago, he was willing to avoid her at all costs. Now, it was the complete opposite.

Chizuru had racked her mind for the answers, but the only plausible explanation she could think of was overconfidence. Perhaps she was becoming _too_ comfortable in his presence. She had developed a false sense of security and forgotten her place.

Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi was –after all – a title most appropriate for someone as dangerous and unpredictable as he was. To tangle herself with such a man was almost as bad as provoking a _wolf_.

Unsure of how the day would unfold, Chizuru mentally prepared herself for a long, awkward breakfast. Sliding her shoji screen open, she caught sight of a piece of parchment and pulled it out from between the floorboards.

A quick, feminine scrawl had etched a simple message:

_Come to the barracks for breakfast. We'll begin your next lesson. -S_

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Across the compound, restoration work was taking place in order to refurbish a certain training field of its thirty wooden mannequins. The remnants of the previous set had been collected and chopped for firewood, while a new set was brought in through the use of industrial-sized carts.

Hijikata oversaw the project himself, selecting a grade of wood that promised to withstand the skill of a commanding officer. Testing the edge of his katana on one of the imitations, he was pleased to find the wood surprisingly pliant and unyielding. Paying the invoice in full, Hijikata delegated the task of installation to two specific captains.

Sanosuke and Shinpachi were set hard at work in grooming the field of gaping holes to be replaced with deeper fissures. It was a task better suited for a team of twenty men, but Hijikata was not in a charitable mood. Feigning indifference, the lieutenant observed their sluggish progress from the shelter of an old shade tree. His eyes gleamed cold with retribution.

"Make sure those holes are deep enough." He reminded them airily. "You have all day."

Sanosuke and Shinpachi glared at him from across the field.

"Hijikata-san, this time you have gone too far." Sanosuke protested as he dropped his shovel into the dirt. "A punishment should compensate the crime – yes- but this is_ absurd_!"

The corner of Hijikata's mouth twitched in facetious amusement.

"You consider withholding information a minor misdemeanor, Harada?"

"Of course not," the redhead flung his arms up into the air, "but when it's impossible to recall the information in the first place, it's not exactly a crime, is it?"

The lieutenant's eyes slivered as he glanced between the two of them. "So you have no recollection whatsoever?"

He didn't seem convinced at all, despite their confessions.

Shinpachi pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to maintain his temper.

"Originally, we agreed to help with Chizuru's training, since the kunoichi had made it sound so urgent. But when we arrived at the barracks, we were invited to tea instead."

"Tea?" Hijikata echoed in disbelief.

"Yeah, and cakes too." The captain added. "Although, I don't remember eating them."

Hijikata deemed that information irrelevant.

"What of the training? What was it that they required from you?" He continued to question.

Shinpachi looked to Sanosuke who shrugged his shoulders in response.

"We don't know. We were there for nearly an hour, but we can't recall a single detail in that short span of time." Sanosuke revealed with a perturbed look. "It was almost like a dream: one moment we're at the table, the next Senhime-san was escorting us out the door."

"And I had a sore throat all of a sudden." Shinpachi supplemented as he scratched his chin in thought.

Now _that_ Hijikata found incredibly hard to believe. Shinpachi's voice had echoed across the compound like some shrill lament for the dead. How on earth could someone possible of producing such horrible sounds have no recollection of doing so?

A small spark of anger gnawed deep in his chest at the thought of Senhime tampering with his officers' memory somehow. The demoness was becoming increasingly bold. Flashing her wealth, dressing his ward in kimono, teasing his men…it was enough to send Hijikata on another emotional rampage.

"What of Chizuru?" He asked distractedly. "Where was she in all this?"

"I imagine she was with you in that spare bedroom." Sanosuke replied with dancing golden eyes. "Now_ that_ I remember quite vividly."

Hijikata ghosted a hand over the hilt of his sword, as he flashed the spearman a caustic glare. Bringing up yesterday's incident at breakfast is what had landed the two captains their strenuous task in the first place, but if the spearman continued to push the subject, Hijikata would _gladly_ find something else more horrifying for him to do.

He had hoped that his malicious look would reel the redhead into subjugation, but Sanosuke had his attention fixated on something else.

Following his subordinate's line of vision, Hijikata blinked.

There, standing across the courtyard with her foot frozen in mid-step, was Chizuru.

She was cast heavily in the early morning sunshine leaving a cheerful glow against her face. The lieutenant was relieved to see her dressed in her customary uniform, but upon further inspection he realized in startling clarity that it did little to cover the fact that she was a young woman. Her body was too slender, her movements too fluid, and her lips too finely tapered at the corners to pass for an effeminate, adolescent boy. Maybe it was just a trick of the light?

Hijikata must have forgotten that his face was set with a stony expression, for Chizuru's eyes widened like saucers before she promptly traipsed the last remaining stretch to the barracks in a pink blur.

Her rapid escape elicited a low chuckle from Shinpachi.

"I've never seen her so fast on her feet before."

A sudden revelation must have struck the tenth division captain, for a perplexed smile spread across his face.

"Hmm…" hummed Sanosuke. "I think I _do_ remember something after all."

Hijikata and Shinpachi both spun around to glance at the spearman intensely.

"You do?" Shinpachi replied.

"What is it?" prodded Hijikata.

Sanosuke's answer was obscure.

"Chizuru." He said. "She asked me to wear a tea cozy like a hat."

The direction this conversation was heading gave Hijikata the inexcusable impulse to throttle someone (preferably the redhead in his immediate vicinity). Fortunately for Sanosuke, the oni-fukuchou was a master at suppressing his impulses. For now.

Relinquishing his frustrations in an audible sigh, Hijikata tried again.

"They dressed you up? That was the purpose of the training?"

"No, no." The captain shook his head. "It was the _manner_ in which she asked me to wear it. Senhime was coaxing her about something from behind the table, but she was speaking too quietly for me to hear. All I remember is Chizuru was acting nervous, and then…"

"Then?" Hijikata and Shinpachi chorused.

"I think…I think Chizuru was attempted to _flirt_ with me." The spearman murmured pinching his chin in thought. Memories of a distinctly charming Chizuru filtered through his mind like a fragmented dream. All he could remember was a soft voice, large amber eyes, and fluttering lashes.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she was flirting in order to get me to wear the tea cozy."

There was a significant pause.

"Is…that…so?" Hijikata murmured silkily.

A hollow expression took hold of the Demon Vice-Commander, but Sanosuke and Shinpachi caught the telltale festering gleam behind their lieutenant's frigid eyes. The scalding turmoil he was experiencing within was a ruthless entity seeping into the air like static electricity only to engulf them in a black void. In fact, the tension was _so_ palpable, the captains felt their self-preservation instincts set aflame.

Sanosuke began to search for his shovel immediately.

The dangerous parallelism in Chizuru's strange behavior yesterday was not lost on the lieutenant as he wondered (wildly) if flirting had indeed been the core focus of her lesson. If so, then that meant Senhime was spending her efforts in cultivating the girl's feminine wiles, teaching her the arts of seduction, stripping her of her virtuosity, _corrupting_ his innocent, young ward…

Hijikata smiled, and Sanosuke and Shinpachi trembled from the shear threat of it.

Drawing forward languorously so as to accentuate the swords at his waist, he whispered:

"Keep digging."

A fountain of dirt spewed from the earth as the captains dug for their lives.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

"You're sure nothing happened, then?" Senhime groused.

Realizing that her mentor was unwilling to let the matter go, Chizuru sighed.

"For the fifth and final time, Osen-chan, _nothing happened_." She emphasized without taking her eyes from the task in front of her. Creating protective barriers out of raw akuma no chikara required her complete attention.

"But you were on fire." Kimigiku pointed out most unhelpfully.

The stone Chizuru had been hovering between her palms in a shimmering crystal sphere trembled before plummeting to the ground. Staring down at the inanimate object, she clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes, which is something I still cannot control." Chizuru reminded the smirking kunoichi.

Since when had this interrogation become two against one?

Senhime swung her legs back and forth at the veranda's edge; her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Regardless if you can control it or not, Chizuru," she mentioned, "a catalyst has to spark the occurrence in the first place. Tell me, what was the nature of your conversation that required such…_close_ proximity?"

"You know…typical household errands. Nothing special." Chizuru hedged.

"So you're telling me that the Demon Vice-Commander was sauntering in for the kill as you stood helpless in your own internal fire because of _errands_?" Senhime intoned flatly.

Wincing, Chizuru asked, "Was it really that obvious?"

"Chizuru, the man was practically ravenous!" the demoness exclaimed throwing her hands into the air. "_What did you do_?"

Yielding to their relentless demands, Chizuru abandoned all efforts at discretion.

"I don't know!" She confessed. "One moment, I'm alone and exhausted – the next, I'm standing in front of Hijikata-san saying things I shouldn't be saying, and he-he became so dangerous! Impetuous even. He _never_ acts like that. I panicked from his reaction and _poof_! Flames."

Overcome with humiliation, Chizuru buried her face into her hands. "I'm such a fool."

She missed the look that passed between oni and kunoichi, as they stared incredulously at each other.

"You were attempting to use Hex Gaze on _him_?" Senhime deduced.

Chizuru shook her head._ And I am never attempting it again_, she vowed silently.

Kimigiku whistled. "You're braver than you look."

"Or just really foolish." she denounced.

"Chizuru, come sit." Senhime beckoned as she patted a place beside her on the veranda.

When Chizuru joined them on the ledge, still unwilling to make eye contact, Senhime shifted a porcelain dish filled with lightly seasoned rice balls. Taking one dusted with green tea flakes, Chizuru began to nibble on it meagerly.

"From what I saw, it looked like you succeeded in hexing Hijikata." The oni revealed as she took her own rice ball before offering the platter to the kunoichi.

Chizuru frowned. "No, that's not possible. I didn't even use my chikara."

Senhime hummed over the girl's naivety.

"In certain circumstances, oni don't need to employ hex gaze to influence others. We emanate power that humans are naturally drawn to, especially those who carry strong emotional ties to us." Senhime explained with a gentle smile. "Dressed the way you were, I don't think Hijikata could _not_ have responded. That man tries to convey he's as emotionless as a post, but in reality he's every bit as much a hot-blooded male as the rest of them."

If Chizuru hadn't blushed enough in the past twenty-four hours, her face was like an open fireplace now.

"You're a beautiful girl, Chizuru. That physical attractiveness – coupled with the power of being an oni – means that your light-hearted flirtations carry a little extra weight now. From one woman to another, I advise a sense of caution in these matters." Senhime instructed. "And when you do fall in love, Chizuru, be prepared for a passionate response."

"The reaction is always equal to the action." Kimigiku agreed in earnest.

Chizuru glanced at the both of them appreciatively. After several months of being a solitary female amongst a compound of men, she quickly realized how refreshing it was to be able to confide in Senhime and Kimigiku. Born an only child, raised by a father, and taken in by the Shinsengumi, Chizuru had little experience outside of a man's perspective. To bring up things like 'flirting' and 'love' was unheard of among the captains.

That's not to say Chizuru held Senhime and Kimigiku in higher regard. It was just that they were both incredibly strong, independent women filled with personal ambition, yet they indulged a side of Chizuru she never knew she possessed: femininity, resilience… _sensuality_.

She found their council highly reassuring.

Their conversation came to an abrupt end; however, as an uncharacteristically urgent Okita sprinted around the corner sliding to a dramatic halt in front them. Bracing hands against knees, he panted from what could only be the result of racing across headquarters.

"Chizuru," He wheezed, "thank god, I found you."

The dreamy look on Chizuru's face vanished.

"Okita-san!"

Concerned for his wellbeing, Chizuru rushed to his side. Such excursion threatened to send the man into a violent coughing fit, and she would not have him suffer at her expense.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she asked, "Are you alright?"

Okita caught her wrist, pinning her with his burning emerald gaze.

"My division has afternoon patrol, and you are to come with me." He explained. "But it is imperative that we leave _now_."

Realizing that Okita was indeed dressed in his Shinsengumi colors, Chizuru immediately feared the worst.

"Has something happened?" She asked.

"Hijikata – he's livid, and he's looking for you." He revealed. "Kondou-san ordered me to evacuate you from headquarters until he calms down."

Remembering the cool look the lieutenant had given her that morning; Chizuru's heart lurched painfully up her throat as she registered the captain's urgent news.

"Hijikata-san is mad at me?" She shrieked. "Oh no."

"Senhime-san, Kimigiku-san, I would advise you to stay indoors until the storm passes. You're in danger too." Okita warned them chivalrously.

A look of challenge crossed the oni's face followed by a small _tsk_.

"Oh let him come." She sneered with a dark smile. "I've wanted to give that man a piece of my mind ever since I stepped foot in this compound."

"But, Osen-chan-"

"Have fun on patrol, Chizuru." She interrupted with a curt wave. "We'll resume your training later."

Chizuru lingered a split second longer to flash her mentor an apologetic look before Okita practically whisked her away. Racing to the entrance furthest from the officers' barracks in a blur of pink and blue silk, Okita wouldn't allow them to slow down until headquarters was far behind them, and even then Chizuru didn't stop.

If her predicament was every bit as severe as the repertoire of emotions bubbling in her chest, then she could understand one thing.

She was in _deep_ trouble.

* * *

**A/N:** So naturally, I couldn't write the aftermath of yesterday's incident without splitting everyone up for some delicious gossip. That's why I consider this the "Soap Opera" chapter. Lots of irony, puns, and malicious interrogation – on Hijikata's and Senhime's part. I fancied the idea of Chizuru with the girls and Hijikata with the boys, but in contrasting situations. Chizuru discovers how to confide her feelings in Senhime and Kimigiku who are all too willing to offer their guidance and support. Hijikata, on the other hand, is prone to violence and threats when pressed about _his_ feelings. Sanosuke and Shinpachi are the unfortunate souls to suffer at his expense.

The Third Gate of the Demon Arts was vaguely mentioned in this chapter despite being its namesake. But don't worry! All will be explained in the next chapter. I _will_ tell you this though: the Third Gate is the last 'painless' lesson that Chizuru will learn. The others that follow will be increasingly more difficult which is going to catapult our heroine into some drastic character development. The plot of this story is going to unravel too, so I want to thank all of you for sticking with me this far. I ask that you please buckle your seatbelts and keep limbs within the vehicle, as we embark on this enormous rollercoaster ride.

Thank you so much for reading!

girliebird


	8. The Second Deadly Virtue

**Chapter Eight: _The Second Deadly Virtue_**

* * *

The physiological trill a person feels when they are at the cusp of mortality is said to be most exhilarating moment in their entire life. Every nerve sparks with electricity, every sensation bursts with color, and every memory ignites like fireworks right up until the last breath.

Ambling through the marketplace with the First Division Squad, Chizuru reevaluated this venerable belief with growing concern. If symptoms alone were anything to go by, she would have to say she was experiencing that quintessential moment _right_ _now_.

Being the receiving end of the Demon Vice-Commander's fury had sent her into a hyperactive paroxysm that could rival Judgment Day, any day.

It was all she could do to keep from bursting into blue fire.

Noticing her growing discomfort, the First Division Captain reached out to tousle her hair gently.

"Hey, snap out of it before you get sick." Okita chided with one of his cunning smiles.

Pulled from her fatalistic train of thought, Chizuru regarded him with a harried expression. So caught up in her anxiety, she didn't even attempt to fix her hair.

"Truthfully, I feel sick." She admitted.

Okay, his charade had gone long enough. The excitement of escaping headquarters before an irritable Hijikata rounded the corner had encouraged the swordsman to delve into his more theatrical side. Kondou had indeed advised Okita to take her on patrol with him, but the matter of urgency had all been improvisation on his part. Now that they had caught their breath, he realized that the farce had been more detrimental to Chizuru than he had originally planned.

Her face was wrought with worry.

"I apologize, Chizuru." He said with quirked brows. "It was not my intention to frighten you when I stole you away from the compound."

Her frown deepened.

"I'm glad you did." She confessed. "If Hijikata-san _is_ mad at me…I don't think I have the courage to face him right now."

There was a unique flavor to her words which prodded at the captain's infallible curiosity.

"Ah, so something _did_ happen between the two of you." He nudged.

Chizuru's responding look said _you have no idea_.

"Well, that certainly explains why he was so moody at breakfast." Okita assessed as he crossed his arms in a speculative manner. "Shinpachi made one little comment before Hijikata had him digging his own grave faster than he could scream 'just kidding!'."

Chizuru _thought_ she had seen Shinpachi clutching a shovel.

At the time, she had been too unsettled by Hijikata's intense gaze to fully comprehend the events unfolding before her, but Okita's depiction made it sound absolutely…gruesome.

"Poor Sanosuke and Shinpachi." She sighed. "If Osen-chan hadn't asked them to assist with my training, they wouldn't have gotten involved."

"Don't worry about them. They have an unnatural inclination to do it to themselves regardless of their involvement with your lesson." He assured her with a slanted look over the ridge of his cheekbone. "But if you don't mind me asking, what _was_ the logistics of your training? Sanosuke kept getting this misty look of his face every time Hijikata inquired. Like he had no recollection."

Well, yeah that was the general idea.

Senhime had warned Chizuru that hex gaze victims left unattended could cause themselves great harm while still under the enchantment. So in order to prevent that, Senhime had subtly wiped the captains' memories clean of anything that had to do with Chizuru's lesson before sending them on their merry way. If either of them tried to remember the events in the drawing room, they would simply come to a blank. (That is, if all went according to plan.)

"I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy, Okita-san." She responded with a hand over her heart. "The Demon Arts are highly confidential."

"Hmm, what a shame." He mused aloud. "I would love to know how our little demon is progressing in her training."

She could certainly answer that without revealing any sensitive information.

"Oh, I'm actually terrible at being a demon." She declared with a sour grin. "I'm clumsy and unpredictable compared to Osen-chan. She just makes everything look effortless – like it should be an innate ability - but I _still_ struggle with controlling my power. And I'm only at the third phase of my training!"

"Chizuru, you are being way too hard on yourself." Okita chuckled.

"I know, I just…I want to succeed so badly."

Glancing at her through his lashes, he caught the unmistakable heat in her tawny gaze and realized it was a fire he understood all too well. He had come across that look many times in his young life, but it had never looked more appealing to the swordsman as it did at that moment on her delicate face.

Mind moving like clockwork, Okita lowered his voice for only Chizuru to hear.

"You know, I wasn't always the impeccably handsome swordsman you've come to know all these months," He murmured with a smug grin, "nor has Hijikata always been the notorious Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi. We've each had our obstacles to overcome. In fact, Hijikata more so than I for he was the first of his family to walk the path of a samurai. Everyone knows that you are not considered a true samurai unless you come from a warrior family like I did, yet Hijikata still continues to persevere."

_Indeed_, Chizuru contemplated silently. She recalled the intimate conversation they had had in the tea house the night Sanosuke treated everyone to dinner, and how Hijikata had shared similar sentiments about becoming a swordsman. It was the first moment she had caught a glimpse of Hijikata as the _man_ and not the warrior, and it had baffled her. Suddenly, the Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi seemed so much more…_human_.

"Everyone struggles in their own way," Okita murmured as he watched her eyes flicker with understanding, "because it's our _weaknesses_ that help define who we are – not our strengths. When you struggle, you are embracing your weakness and acknowledging it.

When you learn to appreciate it, you will know how to protect it, and suddenly everything will become clear. Remember that, little demon. That is the first lesson to becoming a samurai."

Although the stubborn streak in her wanted to disagree, Okita was right. She _was_ being too hard on herself. But the incessant need to accomplish her training as quickly and effectively as possible was marginalized by her increasing fear of Kazama's inevitable return. The past few days had been calm for the Shinsengumi –too calm. She had gathered enough experience from living among the Mibu Wolves to know that it couldn't last forever.

In fact, the very thought of it sent a chill down her spine.

Chizuru grew instantly still.

No, that wasn't a chill. It was something else. Something that set her heightened senses on immediate alert. A strange tension coiled in her stomach as she caught a heady, metallic scent in the air.

"Chizuru?" Okita voiced.

Extending an arm out to stop the captain, she tried to pinpoint where the deplorable aura was coming from. It was faint from their location, but seemed to increase in concentration from every direction, slowly pressing in on their faction.

She realized they were in an obscure part of town. The industrial district was several blocks up ahead congested with workers, but their particular street was unusually vacant.

Old, wooden shacks with tiled roofs lined either side of the street in exception for a few alleyways, and Chizuru's keen eyesight picked up all the cracks, mold, and rotten wood that encompassed the setting.

The faintest _click_ only a katana makes as it's pulled from its sheath reached her ears and she screamed.

"Ambush!"

The First Division had barely a second to collect in a circular formation as rebel ronin leaped swiftly into the street.

Okita dropped a curse as he flourished his own katana.

A quick assessment showed that there were thirty men against his squad of twelve. But if appearances were anything to go by, the Shinsengumi captain would estimate that their skill level was about average. As comforting as this assessment was; however, it did not escape him that the ratio of ronin to soldier was at least 2:1 if not greater. Even if they were the Mibu Wolves, the odds were significantly against their favor.

"North flank, South flank: ready to engage. East and West flanks: sentinel position." He barked as he swiftly dropped into battle mode. "Chizuru draw your blade."

Chizuru did as she was told, but focused on quelling the fear that threatened to gnaw at her insides. Self-combusting in front of thirty lethal, sword-wielding, Shinsengumi-hating ronin was _not_ her idea of a good battle strategy.

A ronin with two missing front teeth stepped forward to address the group.

"So the Shinsengumi dogs finally came out of their pen to play." He leered. "We've been waiting for you."

Okita's look was cold, indifferent, and calculating as he regarded the ronin.

"Curious." He purred. "You doubt your skill so much, you feel compelled to bring everyone and their brother along with you? How commendable."

The ronin's leer vanished.

"Those are some bold words, captain." He responded with a lethal sweetness that made Chizuru's blood curdle. "Tell me; are you just as eloquent with a sword rammed through your gut?"

An angry ripple traveled through the First Division Squad as the tension surmounted with each passing provocation. Shinsengumi soldiers _never_ tolerated the slandering of their commanding officers. This would most certainly be a bloody fight.

Chizuru spoke under her breath without taking her gaze from the ronin.

"Okita-san, there are too many." She hissed in disapproval. "We should be _trying_ to negotiate."

Her tone sounded so rational for a young woman in the mist of battle, and Okita instantly found himself thinking of Sannan. The First Division Captain – as well as the rest of the Shinsengumi elite- had always carried a proclivity for good banter before lunging into a fight. It built up the necessary adrenaline to engage a dangerous enemy. However, it was Sannan who always rose above his blood-lust to speak reason, forcing the captain to reconsider his options. Okita learned to appreciate the gratuity of the vice-commander's insight, and reflected that same respect for Chizuru.

"Yes, you are right. But I have a feeling that such diplomacy won't work on these scoundrels." He answered smoothly. "We have no choice but to fight."

"But think of your condition!" She argued.

The captain pinned her with a cutting look before slipping into stance.

"Stay close to me, Chizuru."

And just like that, the enemy pounced.

Two sentinels from the west flank stepped back to guard Chizuru while another from the east flank shadowed the captain. The rest of the division stood their ground as they met the first wave of attacks, slicing and blocking their opponents as they came.

Ear-splitting screams reverberated through the air as blood began to flow freely onto the street. Three bodies had slumped to the ground in the first few minutes of combat, but Chizuru watched in horror as three more took their place. The rate at which they fell was alarmingly slow compared to the rate in which they were replaced. But Chizuru saw the correlation: there were simply too many.

The north and south flanks were caught in a momentary stalemate as the street ended up being too narrow for the rebellion group to make a collective assault from both ends. This worked well for the division – the only disadvantage they encountered was being rushed by more than one enemy at a time. To compensate for the space, the rebels split their efforts into two factions: attack and infiltrate. While the flanks were hard-pressed to subdue and block enemies at the same time, some rebels managed to slip through the cracks in an attempt to target the Shinsengumi captain.

"Rotate." Okita hollered, and their small defense formation spun so that he could meet their attack head on.

The sentinel to Chizuru's left sprinted into the melee to replace a fallen soldier who was attempting to limp his way back inside the offense line. She could see the angry gash down the front of his torso, and felt compelled to move out of compassion.

"Cover me." She ordered the soldier to her right as she fell out of formation to collect the injured man. Okita had asked her to stay close to him, but she couldn't stand by and watch a comrade suffer helplessly. Running to the soldier's side, she quickly assessed his wound and found it bleeding profusely. Pressing the folds of his blue shroud against the wound, Chizuru tried to ignore his stifling groan of pain as she attempted to hoist him back onto his feet.

"Hurry up, Yukimura-kun. You're going against orders." The sentinel cautioned as he stood alert.

"Hai!" Throwing the soldier's arm over her shoulders, she helped him stand before they headed back toward the center of their formation.

As she set her comrade softly on the ground, she felt the weight of a feral gaze descend upon her and discovered a ronin watching her intently. He had a long face with pinched features that somehow added to his sinister grin, and Chizuru found herself wondering how long he had been observing her. His look alone was enough to give her chills, as he began to pace along the edge of the skirmish.

"Yukimura-kun, watch out!"

Chizuru was pushed to the side as her guard engaged in warfare with two rebels that managed to sneak up behind her. The offense formation had buckled under the pressure of intense onslaught, consequently allowing enemies to circle them on all sides.

"Chizuru!" Okita called out as he attempted to disengage himself from an opponent wielding two swords. He was upset to find her openly vulnerable.

"Keep low." She warned the wounded soldier as she fell into a defensive crouch.

Scanning the fray, she noticed the ronin with the black eyes had slipped through the crowd and entangled himself with the soldier who had protected her only moments ago. Vitriol ran through her as she witnessed the enemy deliver a kick strong enough to crack ribs. The Shinsengumi soldier cried out in pain as he swayed backwards allowing the ronin to extricate himself from the match. Catching her gaze, he approached her almost lethargically.

The hair on Chizuru's neck stood on end.

What did this man want from her? He could have had his pick of the entire squad to fight, but instead he had lingered on the fringes of battle biding his time until he could approach _her_. The look in his eyes wasn't exactly filled with malicious intent, but something much more frightening. Something that filled her belly with dread as she realized she would have to defend herself against this mysterious foe.

"Yukimura, I presume?" He inquired in a voice that sent ice down her spine.

She dipped into a slight crouch.

"What do you want?"

"Just verification." He gleaned before lunging forward.

Anticipating his move, Chizuru raised her sword just in time to counter his attack. With his katana blocked by her wakazashi, she quickly utilized his momentum by pivoting on one foot before stepping forward. Redirecting momentum had been one of the basic skills of defense Chizuru had learned from a dojo in Edo, so she watched in satisfaction as the ronin stumbled backwards with a look of shock on his features.

Evidently, he hadn't expected her to know how to fight.

Chizuru narrowed her eyes. She would teach him not to underestimate her.

Balanced once more, he lunged at her again, this time dodging her wakazashi as he ducked to the right. Chizuru recoiled in the opposite direction and caught him swapping his katana to his left hand with the intention of catching her from behind. Thankfully, her height served her well as she dipped low evading a decapitating blow.

She leapt backwards putting a few feet of distance between them.

The ronin smirked. "Not bad."

Across the street, Okita was locked in combat with the toothless ronin who had insulted him earlier. They were exchanging counter-attacks with impending speed, but Chizuru watched in horror as two rebels sauntered up behind them. The sentinel who had shadowed Okita earlier was defending a part of the north flank that had fallen apart, leaving his captain completely open.

Chizuru took a step in Okita's direction, but a glint of metal drew her attention back to the threat in front of her.

"Remember your opponent." The ronin admonished as he lunged forward for the third time.

_When is this guy going to let up?_ She thought frantically. _I don't have time for games._

She raised her wakazashi with both hands intending to block his attack, but his advance ended up being a fluke. Pulling back his katana, he struck Chizuru with his sheath instead. If it had been a real strike, Chizuru would have lost both of her hands. Instead the dull impact of his sheath snapped one of her wrists. Blinded by pain, she could do nothing as his katana raked through the skin of her forearm drawing a curtain of blood.

Her sword clattered to the dirt.

"CHIZURU NO!" Okita hollered through the chaos. The captain's eyes filled with hysteria as he tried desperately to throw off his opponents, but the effort to scream sent him into a violent convulsion of coughing.

Chizuru clutched her hand to her chest. She knew her cut would seal immediately, but she wasn't sure if demon power healed bones too. Blinking away the moisture that had collected in her eyes, she racked her mind for a new strategy.

And like any good soldier, she started with the facts.

Over half of the enemy's number had been eliminated. Eleven remained. Seven soldiers were still able to fight, but the rest of the division had fallen back into a tight defense. Their formation was broken. Okita was stationed by the north flank and surrounded by three ronin. Impaired by one of his coughing fits – she couldn't expect him to last much longer.

So what could she do?

_Think Chizuru, think! _ She pleaded with herself.

With startling clarity, Senhime's voice rang through her mind.

"_There comes a point in every demon's life when we are forced to protect something. Whether it is your own life or the lives of others, a choice will have to be made."_

"_And what choice is that, Osen-chan?"_

"_Whether you wish to protect yourself or to protect the ones you love."_

_Chizuru frowned. "It can only be one or the other?"_

"_The Second Deadly Virtue is based purely off intent, Chizuru. In the face of danger, our power will naturally choose to protect us, because our desire to live is so strong. But if a demon can relinquish this desire, she can control her power to protect someone else instead."_

"_There's a catch though." Chizuru mouthed with growing skepticism. Each Gate had had a catch so far, so she could only assume it would be true of the Third Gate as well._

_Senhime's answering smile confirmed her uneasiness._

"_Your right. If you choose to protect someone – and your resolve should weaken – the stability of your chikara will be compromised in its attempt to return to you. Weak power correlates to unstable power which is highly destructive. You could risk injuring those you wish to protect."_

"_And if my resolve should not weaken?"_

_Senhime's eyes glimmered._

"_Then your shield would have the power to deflect any kind of harm imaginable."_

That's it. There was no other possible way of surviving this.

Chizuru had made her choice.

Ignoring the black-eyed ronin sauntering slowly towards her, she closed her eyes and rapidly cleared her mind of any fear, pain, or doubt. Days of mediation had sharpened this skill, as well as the ability to call forth her power.

The Third Gate of the Demon Arts was a skill that required the complete power of mind. In other words, Chizuru would have to control not only her thoughts, but her consciousness and feelings too. _One_ small seed of doubt, _one_ tiny inkling of fear, or_ one_ breathe of self-preservation and the illusion would shatter. Chizuru had managed to sustain the illusion while shielding rocks and leaves back in the compound, but she had not defended a living being while pressed with the threat of mortality. Performing Akuma Shirūdo, the Second Deadly Virtue, in the mist of bloody combat would be considerably more complicated.

But Chizuru didn't allow herself to think about that. Instead she thought of Okita, the squad, the injured soldier crumpled at her feet. She thought of the sunshine glinting off their swords, and the angry red of their wounds, all the while subduing consideration for her own safety.

Her power surged forth like a bolt of lightning, rippling and convulsing as it struggled against her authority. Senhime had warned her that refusing her power was unnatural, therefore incredibly difficult to achieve under dangerous circumstances. But Chizuru had discovered in her hours of practice that she had an uncanny gift for this Demon Art. All it took was one long moment of strain, before the chikara would completely yield to her will.

"Protect them." She whispered.

And just like that, the air went static as chikara molecules fused together to create thick sheets of crystal between friend and foe. Several rebels were sent flying backwards as they came into contact with her chikara, and Chizuru watched with satisfaction as the three ronin who had circled Okita were propelled back like sacks of rice.

Demonic power pulsated through the crowd and ricocheted off the walls like thunder, forcing several to their knees. Chizuru's hair and garments whipped wildly around her as air pressure fluctuated in a desperate attempt to recover its equilibrium. Soon, dust and debris was lurched into the air into a small wind vortex shielding the panels of illustrious crystal from view.

The enemy faction began to withdraw.

"Fall back, Men! Fall back!" A familiar voice urged.

Whipping her head around, Chizuru realized that the swordsman with black eyes was issuing the call of retreat.

_Wait, I thought the other guy was the leader._ She pondered with a frown.

The ronin's group was more than willing to retreat, but he himself showed no telltale signs of fear. Instead he scanned the length of the street, the towering panels of crystallized demonic power hidden under a swirling mess of dust, and finally her prone and vulnerable form crouched low to the ground with a look of…_approval_.

Something in his appraising gaze made Chizuru feel uncomfortably naked. Like he knew _exactly_ what she was and she had just proven it to him.

The ronin dipped his chin with a nod.

"Good day, Miss Yukimura."

And he disappeared with the rest of the group. Just like that.

Chizuru released the illusion, allowing the crystal sheets to dissipate into thin air. A portion of the power returned to her, but most of it had been used up in casting the large defense mechanism. Her head felt light and cloudy from the exertion, but it was the least of her pain right now. One snapped wrist, one clotted wound, and two bruised knees…the lack of chikara meant that her rapid healing abilities would be momentarily postponed.

Stepping gingerly to her feet, she cradled her broken wrist to her chest as she raced across the wreckage to Okita's side.

"Okita-san? Okita-san, are you alright?"

The captain was down on his knees with a hand bracing him from collapsing to the ground, but he was no longer coughing.

_Thank god_, she thought.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, her eyes widened as a strong hand clasped her wrist and yanked her down to his side so that they could be nose-to-nose.

"Chizuru, _what_ was that?" He exhaled deeply.

"A demon shield." She replied. "I solidified my power to protect everyone. Are you alright?"

Okita's eyes were feverish, but lucid. She could still see the pallor in his cheeks, and a deep stain on his lip. She allowed her eyes to rove over his shoulders and chest, cataloguing every cut, scrape and bruise she could pinpoint until she was satisfied in finding him somewhat healthy.

Okita gave her his own ministrations. Hands gently cupping her chin, he turned her head this way and that. When he tried to unpin the hand held closely to her chest, Chizuru hissed from the pain and the captain _tsk_ed. He noted the deep crimson blotch on her torn sleeve and frowned.

"You're hurt." He stated angrily.

"There are others in worse condition than I am." She rebutted.

As if pulled from a dream, Okita lurched to his feet.

"We need to get back to headquarters before they come for a second assault."

"We more than halved their number though." She countered. "They're probably retreating for convalescence."

"Even so, we can't afford to take the risk of another group ensnaring us. Can you walk?" He asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Yes. I'll be fine." She confirmed.

"Good."

Turning his attention to his division, his voice rang out urgently.

"Men, check the dead for any survivors and collect the wounded. I need two messengers to send word to headquarters for reinforcements. Use any wooden scraps for makeshift stretchers, and we'll begin heading toward the first checkpoint immediately."

A strong chorus of affirmatives filtered through the street, and Chizuru was instantly relieved that their number had remained solid. Two soldiers with minor injuries took off ahead of the group to inform headquarters, while another pair found a survivor among the rebel casualties.

"Good, then perhaps we can find out how they are working for." Okita murmured. "Tie him to a stretcher, and bring him along."

Remembering her own charge, Chizuru retrieved her wakazashi and made sure that the soldier with the long gash down his front was placed onto another wooden stretcher before squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. You're safe now."

The sentiment sounded empty even to her own ears. Sensing her rising panic, Chizuru quickly bottled her emotions and tucked them far into the recesses of her conscious. Focusing on the wounded soldier, she allowed his wellbeing to drown out the wreckage and death that surrounded them.

She would deal with her own predicament later.

With no time to waste, the First Division Patrol Unit began its slow trek back to headquarters.

* * *

**A/N:** So writing a fight scene while under the influence of cold medicine is a very interesting experience. I hope it didn't hinder the fluidity of the story in any way. I actually had to sketch everything out in my notepad so as to get a sense of the formation and attacks. It ended up helping me a great deal, so I'm probably going to sketch out all my fight scenes from here on out. (The First Division was a set of circles, while the rebel faction was a set of triangles. Ha ha!) But anyway, I know I pulled a very big _Hakuouki_ no no. In the series, whenever Chizuru is in serious danger the guys _always_ come to her rescue without fail. But I had to be cruel. I had to strip the lovely, delicate Chizuru of her safeguards, so that she would be able to rise to the occasion and use some of her skills in the heat of battle. Her actions in this particular fight are going to set a few things in motion, so all will make sense. I promise!

Here are the songs that helped inspire this chapter:

"Revenge" – Clinton Shorter

"Dutch Island Fugue" - Ilan Eshkeri

"Shooting Star" – Ilan Eshkeri (Chizuru performs Akuma Shirūdo, the Second Deadly Virtue)

Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to write those reviews you guys. Your tremendously positive feedback has kept me so motivated.

girliebird


	9. Set in Motion

**Chapter Nine: _Set in Motion_**

* * *

Beads of perspiration began to form under Heisuke's bangs as he ran through his practice drills with killing finesse. Dusk had crept across the landscape, casting the courtyard in an array of crimson and gold light that provided warmth to the otherwise ashen complex. Devoid of any spectators save for a pair of mourning doves roosting in a nearby tree, the swordsman took advantage of the temporary isolation to hone his sword fighting skills.

Drawing steel from its scabbard, he relished the sweet, metallic ring of his katana as it sliced through thin air.

It felt so good to wield his sword again.

His new division had been assigned patrol duty, and Heisuke had discovered (much to his detriment) that he lacked all necessary attributes of a stationary sentinel. He was fundamentally boisterous and energetic, the two things that completely negated his hours of standing alert in the notably dull collection of stone alcoves of his company's dominion. Clearly, stasis was to be the Achilles' heel of his military proficiency. Heisuke hated immobility. It drove him crazy.

And therein lay the truth of things.

Being a member of the Mausoleum's Guard was surprisingly dull compared to his former life in the Shinsengumi. For one, the companionship was inferior. Most of Itou's recruits kept to themselves and preferred autonomy. Whenever Heisuke attempted to make conversation with his fellow comrades, he was often treated with caution or animosity. They did not revere him with the respect of his former position which he expected, but it was jarring nonetheless to be kept on the fringes of conversation. He began to miss Shinpachi and Sanosuke's colorful tirades, and _that_ was saying something.

Secondly, Heisuke no longer enjoyed privileged information that came along with being a high-ranking officer. His loss of privilege meant he spent the majority of his time awaiting orders from his division leader or Itou Kashitarou himself. And when the orders did finally come through, they were usually vague and infrequent enough to leave the swordsman in a state of growing impatience.

Recalling his responsibilities as Eighth Division Captain of the Shinsengumi, Heisuke remembered being constantly involved in something. Whether it was patrols, council meetings, recruit training, or speaking with Chizuru during a rare amount downtime, he was hardly ever bored. The Mibu Wolves were notoriously burdened with constant activity which, dwelling on it now, had driven his sense of purpose. There was never a dull moment to contemplate feelings of ineptitude. Kondou's confidence in his ability alone was enough to make him feel instrumental to the Shinsengumi's cause.

Regrettably, the same could not be said of the Mausoleum's Guard.

Tossed in with an alarming number of new recruits who seemed plucked off the street and thrown into uniform, Heisuke felt directionless and depreciated. He didn't understand why Itou refrained from assigning him to a position where his skills could be better put to use. He was a man of action. His place was not amongst the greenhorns clamoring for attention, but on the frontlines of national discord. Itou knew this and yet he still continued to evade his requests.

_Give it time, Todo-san. Things will improve once we settle into our new headquarters._ Itou had appeased him with an encouraging smile. _I gave you and Saito-san choice apartments as a way of displaying my gratitude for joining our cause. In the next couple of weeks, your assignment will be reassessed to better match your status, but for now see if you can mingle with the new recruits._

No matter how hard he tried, Heisuke did not belong and he couldn't figure out why.

Had he done something wrong?

Thoughts of Hajime Saito drifted into his mind, and he wondered idly what assignment the master swordsman had been given to keep him away from the compound. It had been a couple days since they were split into different divisions, and it was not lost on the former Mibu Wolf that his only ally in this faction was conveniently never around. Perhaps Hajime was experiencing the same strange game of subordination on his end as well…

Heisuke heaved an exasperated sigh. All this analyzing was beginning to make his head hurt. Maybe he would revisit the sake pantry again. It seemed to be the only enjoyable perk in this stuffy place.

Turning toward the refectory in search of inebriation, he hesitated as the sounds of a pushcart wheeling up to the entrance stopped him in his tracks.

"Now what?" He murmured under his breath. Ruffling his bangs, he strolled curiously toward the end of the courtyard where the entrance gate stood. It was there under the blue pagoda roof that he spotted two men pushing a wooden cart into the complex. He didn't recognize their faces or their garments, but their unpretentious manner informed Heisuke that they were not foes.

Sensing his presence, they both peered at him expectantly.

"Do you have business here?" Heisuke asked. His interest peeked as the cart bounced against an uneven flagstone, causing the hidden cargo to shuffle audibly.

"We have a delivery for Master Masa Higashi," the shorter of the two announced in a breathless baritone. Heisuke could see how the man's chunky physique had landed him his strenuous task, but the conveyance _did_ raise a couple questions in his mind. For instance, how far did they travel with all that sword metal? And what did scraggily, old Masa Higashi need with a cart full of swords anyway? Was Itou anticipating more recruits?

Crossing his arms over his chest, Heisuke scowled.

He was definitely out of the loop on this one.

"Higashi-sama is inside. Wait here and I'll bring him to you." He proffered with an irritated sigh.

Heading for the central barracks where the lieutenant was probably dining for the evening, Heisuke was struck with the unnerving feeling of being watched. Body tensing of its own accord, he trailed his blue gaze across the courtyard. Only then did he realize the doves had ceased their crooning.

His intuition was difficult to ignore. Something was definitely not right.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Hijikata's brow furrowed as he caught the unmistakable sound of laughter.

Soft and subtle, it resonated like a sweet fragrance disrupting the unnatural tranquility that had settled over the compound since dusk. Choosing a path through the courtyard under the cover of darkness, Hijikata followed the sound until he discovered it to be emanating most strongly from the infirmary.

It was a pleasing sound: warm, melodic, and genuine…a woman's laugh.

Ascending the steps swiftly, Hijikata approached the entrance only to find its shoji doors drawn wide open. Light spilled out onto the porch, and it took him a moment to adjust his eyes.

She was laughing.

Swathed in a dull kimono with gauze wrapped around her forearm and wrist, Chizuru was laughing.

"Okita-san, the point of an herbal tonic is to _drink_ it, not spew it everywhere. What will Dr. Matsumoto think?" She admonished with healthy coloring in her cheeks.

"You're one to talk. You haven't even touched yours." The captain prevaricated amusingly.

Chizuru dropped her gaze to the mug clasped in her good hand and bit her lip. Returning her gaze to the captain, she asked, "Is it really that awful?"

"Like drinking brine." The trickster swordsman offered as encouragement.

Flashing him a look of disapproval, Chizuru raised the mug to her lips and swallowed…only to rupture into her own coughing fit.

"Agh! It tastes terrible." She gagged with a grimace.

It was Okita's turn to snicker.

"See?" He prodded stubbornly. "I _told_ you it was awful."

Hijikata watched their comical exchange with a flurry of emotions.

Just hours ago, Chizuru and Okita had returned to headquarters like apparitions: bone white, gaunt, and hollow. The captain had a protective arm wrapped around the girl, but the gesture did little to prevent her unsteady footing as she cradled what was most likely a broken wrist above her heart. A convoy of soldiers followed closely behind them, and as they crossed the courtyard –blood-soaked, exhausted, and with six men carried on stretchers – Hijikata was rendered speechless.

He realized that dispatching Shinpachi's unit for reinforcement had been a fruitless endeavor. The damage had already been done. Not a single soldier managed to escape unscathed, including Chizuru, which indicated that the enemy had a single focus: annihilation.

Such a tactical maneuver was only ever used under extreme duress in the heat of battle, yet it had happened in broad daylight. Hijikata found that most disturbing.

Dr. Mastumoto spent the entire afternoon sterilizing wounds, stitching abrasions, and splinting broken bones. Shinpachi's unit provided aid to the doctor by providing fresh water and disposing stained clothing, but the most they could do was wait in suspense for the doctor's final verdict. Hours passed by in torturous succession, as the eighth and tenth divisions made a sweep of the city in search of the enemy. It wasn't until evening that the severely wounded were finally stabilized, and the Shinsengumi were allowed a sigh of relief.

Seeing the vivacity restored to his young ward, Hijikata's tension relaxed. Slightly.

He noticed that the room was filled with other occupants.

The demoness, kunoichi, and Sanosuke reclined at Chizuru's right, while Kondou, Sannan, Shinpachi, and Inoue sat on Okita's left. There was a casual atmosphere in the room of camaraderie, but it instantly transformed as he entered the room.

"Ah, Hijikata-san you have returned." Kondou greeted. The amusement in his gaze evaporated, as he remembered the sordid task he had given to his subordinate. "I take it you have finished your interrogation."

Hijikata swept the room with his gaze before fixating on Chizuru.

"Hai." He replied.

Unease filtered through her brown eyes, and she was quick to avert her gaze as she murmured something quietly to Sanosuke. The spearmen inclined his head, and a minor jolt of tension ran through the lieutenant at the sight of their familiarity.

"Good, then we can begin" Kondou commenced with an authoritative tone. "Souji, if you would please start by telling us what happened."

The captain sobered as he dropped his gaze on the floor inadvertently casting his brow in deep shadow. His voice was flat as he spoke.

"My patrol was headed toward the half-way point of route D just outside the business sector when we were besieged by thirty ronin wielding common swords. They surrounded us on both flanks of the street and offered us neither terms nor allegiance, just the promise of blood. Their numbers were far too expertly distributed to be a sporadic skirmish." Okita surmised. "They were expecting us."

Kondou rubbed his chin in thought. "Did you recognize any of the men, Souji?"

"They were lowlife, impoverished ronin. Thieves, criminals, beggars…" Okita described bluntly. "What skill they lacked in swordsmanship, they compensated in numbers. My men managed to bring down half their ranks before they called for a retreat."

"And you, Toshi, what news were you able to extract from the survivor?" The Head Commander addressed his leading subordinate.

The oni-fukuchou stirred.

"The group of men that ambushed the First Division were hired sell swords commissioned to attack a Shinsengumi patrol and eliminate its captain. The ronin claimed he had no information regarding the exact prerogative of their attack or the identity of their employer, only that they were given precise instructions as to the location and timing of the assault."

"That explains their cowardice." Okita quipped. "No man would trade his life for a few measly coppers."

"Were you able to acquire any names from him?" Kondou resumed.

Hijikata shook his head. "His wounds took him too quickly for me to interrogate much further."

The room fell silent as his words resonated in the air.

"Curious." Sannan shifted his lenses with a slender index finger. "Someone somewhere has taken time to study our every move and has raised enough money to hire unpledged swords."

"Clearly they required quantity over quality though." Shinpachi pointed out. "Criminals and beggars are no match for a Shinsengumi patrol."

"Even so, we've received similar reports from Yamazaki regarding a group of uncouth swordsmen taking up residency in a textile factory not far from where Souji's men were attacked. This would explain why their movements have been nonexistent until now." Hijikata theorized. "They could have informants within the city documenting our routes and planning attacks when we are most vulnerable."

"In that case, we may have just cleared all justifications to rid the business sector of these ronin." Kondou voiced with a grim expression. "Have you received any word from Yamazaki?"

"His last correspondence was over a new trail that would possible lead him to the rebels' headquarters. He spotted some ronin delivering a cart of swords and sought to follow them." Hijikata revealed to the Head Commander. "They might lead him to the person in charge of hiring these sell swords."

"Souji, you said they had twice your number." Sanosuke stated. "If it's true that they were ordered to assassinate you, then why did they retreat?"

The injured captain spared a glance for the slender form beside him.

"Because they had not anticipated the demon in our patrol," Okita revealed with a cunning grin.

"It is to Chizuru that we owe our lives."

The aforementioned demon visibly tensed as all eyes fell on her. Hijikata caught the slight trembling of her hands and frowned.

"Yukimura-kun, perhaps you could explain." Kondou urged her gently.

She spared a hesitant glance for her mentor.

"Speak freely, Chizuru." Senhime bid her." We talk of war tonight."

"Yes, Osen-chan." She intoned. Taking a steady breath, she addressed the room.

"Our defeat was eminent. Okita-san was rushed by three rebels while our defense faction was weakened. The wounded were pressed to the center of our unit, but the ronin were slipping through our defense line in twos and threes. I myself was pulled into the fight and forced to defend a wounded soldier. My opponent overcame me; though, and with my wrist broken I could not hope to last much longer. I acted purely on instinct." She relayed with the calm, collected fluency of a soldier. Hijikata caught conflict marring her features and realized that she was probably reliving her memories of the ambush right then and there.

"I performed the Second Deadly Virtue of the Demon Arts and fashioned my akuma no chikara to act as a force field against the ronin. Any enemy that came into contact with my protective barrier was forced back, unable to inflict anymore harm on the patrol squad. The presence of my power was too much for them to overcome. In the end they had no choice but to retreat."

"It was unlike anything I had ever seen, Kondou-san." Okita confided in the Head Commander. "Thick sheets of cobalt crystal forming in midair."

It was Senhime who stirred next.

"Chizuru that was a dangerous stunt you pulled." The demoness chastised severely. "By shielding the entire squad with your power, you nearly depleted what little _you_ needed in order to survive. No wonder your wounds aren't healing. You're power hasn't returned to you yet."

"Not to mention you compromised your secret identity to human enemies." Kimigiku added. "They will question what they saw, and seek you out for answers."

What little color that returned to Chizuru quickly faded as she realized the error of her actions.

"I admit that I did not consider the consequences. I'm sorry I have disappointed you, Osen-chan."

"Disappointed me?" Senhime scoffed. "Chizuru, you managed to execute the Second Deadly Virtue and encompass an _entire_ squadron within your protection, something that only a Master of the Demon Arts could ever hope to achieve. Your ability continues to surmount my expectations, yet it is your lack of common sense that concerns me."

Hijikata found himself agreeing with the demon princess; although, he would never admit to it.

"Now, now, we mustn't be too harsh, Senhime-san." Kondou pacified the demoness with a soft smile. "Chizuru acted with intense valor and saved the lives of her comrades today. That is certainly worth revering."

"Yes, I agree." Senhime consented. "I just wish to instill my pupil with stronger caution."

Chizuru inclined her head. "I promise to be more careful, Osen-chan."

"This does add a further dimension of complexity to our escaped sell swords." Sannan pointed out. "Suppose they inform their employer of Chizuru's powers?"

"We have no choice but to weed them out." Hijikata concluded. "Every moment they remain in the textile factory is another moment dedicated to their strategizing for another attack. They must be eliminated."

"Assuming they are the same ronin that fought in the street today." Sannan jested.

"There are too many coincidences for it not to be so."

"I agree with Toshi. The ronin must be dealt with." Kondou voiced as he took back control of the room. "They impose a far greater threat than what we had originally assumed. If Yamazaki's mission proves successful, we will be able to eliminate the problem at its source and remove this mysterious benefactor. But before we can devise plans, we are in desperate need of more men. A whole unit has been placed out of commission today."

"I could plead our case to the shogunate for reinforcements." Hijikata offered.

The Head Commander shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Toshi. Arrangements have already been made for my visit with Kazuhiro Shin at Akahori castle. He is a fierce supporter of the Tokugawa Regime and is willing to send a portion of his guard to serve as new recruits. Our correspondence has been delayed due to a few conflicts on his estate, but I have just been summoned this morning."

"Akahori castle…that will be a far journey from the capitol." Okita revealed. "At least a week on horseback."

"Not to mention you'll have to travel through hostile Satsuma territory." Hijikata added uneasily. "The risk is too great for the Head Commander. Why not send me instead?"

"Nonsense, I have endured worse journeys that this." Kondou disagreed with a hearty laugh. "Kazuhiro is an old friend. He will meet my convoy on the edge of Satsuma land and escort us back to the castle. If I leave in the morning, it would save us time."

"I do not like this, Kondou-san." Hijikata confessed with a sigh.

Kondou fixed him with a determined look.

"I am the Head Commander of the Shinsengumi and I know where my men's strengths are best suited. Your place is here leading in my absence alongside Sannan-san. I will be counting on you to reinforce the compound's defenses and awaiting word from Yamazaki." He reassured. "Today's events have set in motion what we can no longer ignore. It is time that I do something about it."

"Take Hajime's old patrol unit with you at the very least." Hijikata encouraged.

"I shall leave with them in the morning." Kondou affirmed. "Souji, Yukimura-kun, get some rest tonight. You have both fought bravely. We shall reconvene upon my return from Akahori castle."

All officers stirred to depart for the evening, the impromptu council at an end.

"Senhime-san, if I could have a word with you." Hijikata overheard Kondou ask the demoness as he followed her out of the infirmary.

"Of course, Commander." She replied as they disappeared into the night.

The lieutenant lingered by the doorway as he watched his officers exchange words of endearment to his young ward.

"You did well today, Chizuru-chan."

"What a fierce little demon you are."

"Try to get some rest. We'll have a big breakfast for you in the morning."

"Thank you, everyone." She murmured with a smile that never quite touched her eyes. "I will do as you say."

They shuffled out one-by-one into the darkness to return to their own apartments. Only Hijikata remained.

Chizuru stayed seated on the tatami mat, but all cheerful pretenses escaped her the moment they were alone. She let her shoulders droop as she grasped the silk of her kimono in the palm of her good hand. Only then did she peer at him with those dark eyes of hers.

"Hijikata-san," she murmured shakily, "I…I can still smell their hatred. Does that not sound strange to you? It smells like scalded metal and fresh blood. I can't get rid of it."

The oni-fukuchou kept his expression neutral as he approached her slowly, never breaking eye contact. He let his legs fold neatly underneath him as he took a seat in front of her. At this range, he could see her hands were still trembling in her lap, and without thinking he gently pulled her injured hand into his for inspection. The bandages were expertly wrapped around her wrist so as to allow proper blood circulation, but he noticed that her fingers were cold.

"You are safe now. No one will hurt you." He promised softly.

A dark fear took hold of Chizuru as she shook her head.

"There was a man…a pair of black eyes watching me from outside the fight. I could _smell_ his hatred long before he approached me with his katana." Chizuru confessed. "I fought him. I fought him as hard as I could, but he was much faster. I thought he was going to kill me. When my vices sprang up, I remained defenseless, yet he just stood there watching me with those black eyes of his. All I could think was that he knows. He knows what I am. I was so terrified."

"This man, did he escape the fight?" He asked.

Chizuru nodded. "I think he was the leader. He called the order for retreat after I procured the barrier."

Hijikata catalogued that information in the hopes that fate would land this black-eyed ronin at the end of his katana.

"Kondou-san will leave in the morning to gather reinforcements. Once we've recovered our ranks, he will give the order for us to infiltrate the ronin's headquarters." He calmly explained. "What you witnessed today was heinous, I know. But you fought bravely. You have a samurai's courage."

"And a girl's stupidity." She countered. "I blew my cover and risked my life in a single moment. What if Kimigiku is right? We already have Kazama to worry about, but these mercenaries…what if they come after me too?"

Hijikata considered her for a moment.

"We will fight them." He responded. "We will fight them like we have been all along."

Chizuru stared at him helplessly. He could see her poise beginning to falter as the corner of her eyes began to collect with moisture. The threat of her tears made Hijikata instantly uncomfortable as he wracked his mind for the right words to mitigate her frenzy. The Vice Commander was no stranger to grief, but there was something wholly unsettling about Chizuru's tangible distress. In a mild attempt to soothe her, he touched her shoulder reassuringly.

It was just enough to make her break.

Catching the Vice Commander completely off guard, she lurched forward and burrowed her face deep into the folds of his silk haori. The motion was swift and desperate. Pressed against his body, Chizuru's sobriety shattered at last, as the despair that loomed in the room finally found expression in the fresh flow of tears.

He froze.

Moments like this in which words failed the otherwise skilled war orator; Hijikata had no choice but to relinquish all formality and simply hold her. The comfort she needed couldn't be derived from speech alone, he realized. She was not a soldier to be consoled by occupational affirmations. She was a young woman unaccustomed to the brutality of warfare. And yet…

Hijikata grew morose.

Chizuru had played her part of a soldier in the Shinsengumi so convincingly; her disguise was beginning to manifest itself into reality. Even _he_ began to believe the deception. How many times had she witnessed bloodshed and come to terms with her own trauma? How many times had she participated in assignments, jeopardizing her safety while following his orders explicitly? How many times did she hide her true feelings underneath that damnably quiet stoicism? This phenomenon was so much larger than adopting a few of his bad habits, Hijikata realized. Unintentionally, the Mibu Wolves had been _grooming_ her into a soldier all along.

How could he have been so blind?

"I- I'm sorry," she flushed in shame.

Witnessing Chizuru's tears for the first time, Hijikata grasped the true extent of her charisma. Not only had she made a place for herself among the Shinsengumi, falling effortlessly into their daily routine, but she had also succeeded in winning everyone's trust through her steadfast devotion. The girl never once complained about her tasks, but performed them with great purpose. She was not known to be preoccupied by material things, nor was she scatterbrained.

On the contrary, Chizuru possessed a sharp intellect for military decorum and excelled well in the subtle art of diplomacy. Her intelligence was further accentuated by her ability to maintain a level head during the heat of battle. Coupled with her talent to ascertain the severity of the situation and act immediately laid the ground work for an exceptional officer. Chizuru had been shattering societal conventions right in front him. Only now, after all this time, did she finally succumb to her feelings of fear.

To forget the person underneath the disguise, well…Hijikata began to understand the error of his ways.

Closing his eyes with a soft sigh, he endeavored to see her, for the first time, not as a prisoner, or a soldier, or a helpless child, but the young woman who defended the First Division Patrol Unit against rebel forces and delivered everyone home safe and sound, captain included.

An intense feeling of ardor overcame the oni-fukuchou in his moment of silent deliberation.

This…beautiful, complex creature was _his_ to protect, and what she needed in this precise moment was peace and compassion. Rest would provide the first, but it was left to Hijikata to provide the second. Cradling her back with one hand, he gingerly combed his fingers through her hair with the other hoping the gentle ministrations would help sooth her trembling. The strands were soft and smooth under his palm, just as he suspected. Falling victim to her sweet floral scent, Hijikata placed his mouth to the shell of her ear and whispered, "I am proud of you, Chizuru."

Her body grew deathly still. Pulling back just enough to peer into his eyes, Chizuru's expression was one of sheer openness.

"You are?"

Could a voice ever sound so heartbreaking and optimistic at once?

"Yes," he assured with an agitated expression. "There is no doubt that you are brave, but even a warrior is allowed to shed tears. Do not be ashamed of your emotions…not in front of me."

Gazing into her copper eyes brimming with tears, Hijikata studied the girl underneath the disguise. He took in the passionate intelligence, the selfless conviction, and the enigmatic power radiating from the depths of her soul. Committing this young woman to memory, the Great Oni-Fukuchou of the Shinsengumi leaned forward, and without a single ounce of reservation, pressed his lips to her forehead.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Biding his time, Okita melted himself into a soundless void. The compound had fallen unusually silent within the midnight hour, but despite his overwhelming, drug-induced exhaustion, the First Division captain remained wide awake and alert.

It had not escaped his notice that he had been followed on his way back to captains' quarters.

"I was wondering when you'd turn up," Okita susurrated in casual zeal. He sat atop his pallet with his katana draped across his thighs in waiting. The lantern hanging from the eaves was dark allowing the captain to adjust himself to the darkness of his room. Pale moonlight filtered through the shoji screen doors outlining a small silhouette.

"You've been expecting me."

The intruder's voice was soft and melodic, but Okita could see right through his feminine disguise. Sliding the shoji screen aside, Kaoru Nagumo greeted the captain with a furtive smile.

"After the day you had, I almost expected you to be unconscious by now," Kaoru mouthed through painted lips. Reclining neatly on the floor of Okita's apartment, he took note of the captain's sword lying across his lap, the array of bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, but most importantly the blood-stained cloth resting on the tatami floor.

Okita remained cool under the boy's scrutiny.

"You were there, huh?" He noted.

Kaoru's cheerful display morphed into something unreadable as he regarded the captain.

"You were ambushed."

This did not surprise Okita at all; this uncanny doppelganger of Chizuru's had a proclivity for showing up whenever the Shinsengumi encountered conflict. The chaos and confusion allowed for a quick escape, as was evident the night Sanosuke's patrol dispatched ronin thugs near the bridge where the bulletin was staked. For a moment, the redhead had suspected Chizuru of insubordination, but Okita could see Sanosuke's mistake. Kaoru lacked all of Chizuru's altruism. Instead, he was filled with something far more ominous.

Okita grew cautious.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

Kaoru chuckled.

"Relax. I come to repay you the kindness from the other day," assured the boy.

"Repay me?"

Fishing into the lapel of his kimono, Kaoru withdrew a small glass vial filled with red liquid. A spark of moonlight glinted off the polished surface making it appear like a red ruby. He placed it on the floor as a peace offering before the wearisome captain.

Recognizing the Ochimizu drug immediately, Okita frowned.

"Where did you get that?"

"Koudou-san gave it to me." The boy claimed.

This heightened the swordsman's interest.

"And why would he do that?"

"Because he is my father," Kaoru confessed after a moment of pause, "which makes Chizuru my younger twin sister. You've seen the similarity between us, no doubt."

Yes, the resemblance between the two was indecipherable. They had the same curvilinear face, russet-brown eyes and slender build. Not to mention they both wore clothing of the opposite gender; though, Chizuru's case was out of necessity. Kaoru's motive for dressing in kimono and posing as a woman remained a mystery. But with cross-dressing aside, Okita noticed that Chizuru possessed a mild disposition; whereas, Kaoru's countenance alluded to an agenda full of deception. The intelligent sheen of his eyes worked in opposition to the lilting tone of his voice.

It was this very reason that the swordsman couldn't trust the boy.

"Chizuru doesn't have a brother," Okita countered with narrowed eyes. "Or, at least, she has never mentioned you before. Why is that?"

This drew a look of despondency from Kaoru.

"Yes, well…our family has a rather tragic past. The Yukimuras were destroyed after the main branch refused to help overthrow the Bakufu. Chizuru was taken into custody by Koudou-san while I was to be raised by the Nagumo family from the Tosa Clan. We were torn away from each other for our own protection."

His story seemed…plausible. Many prestigious families were obliterated due to the civil unrest in recent years, but even still Okita could not believe his testimony without Chizuru's validation. He found it odd that the girl who had been living with Shinsengumi all these months had failed to mention something as crucial as a lost sibling. This could have been a major clue in discovering the whereabouts of her missing father.

And speaking of which, Koudou never breathed a word of the Yukimura Clan's dissolution during his brief time with the Shinsengumi either. He alluded to a daughter who lived in Edo. Hijikata had enforced strict surveillance over the doctor as he began research over the elixir. Part of the oni-fukuchou's decree was the close censorship of all letters entering and leaving the compound. Koudou had agreed to the conditions regarding his work with the Ochimizu drug, but the man was diligent in sending two, sometimes three, letters a week to his daughter. All of them fell under the studious gazes of the commanding officers before they were delivered to post. Not a single word referenced a son of Koudou Yukimura.

Kaoru's confession didn't quite fit the scheme of things.

Taking a risk, Okita concluded, "So that must make you are an oni too."

The imposter broke from his sorrowful trance.

"Why yes," he responded with a nod. Perplexed by the captain's composure, he added, "You seem rather calm about all of this, Okita-san."

"Do I?" He taunted.

Mounting hostility filled the room as Okita grew very aware of the need to extract his katana. As if in reaction, Kaoru wrinkled his nose before returning his gaze to the blood-stained cloth lying on the floor.

"It was Chizuru who told me about your illness, you know," he explained, "This medicine can reverse it."

Ah, there was the snag in his ruse the captain had been waiting for all this time.

Okita's emerald eyes flashed with predatory excitement.

"Chizuru would never tell anyone about my illness, Kaoru Nagumo," He grinned in warning, "She knows I will kill her if she gives my secret away."

The captain reached for his katana, drawing the steel free from its casing.

"Can you even fight as you are now?" Kaoru inquired with a scathing look.

Finished with illusive conversation for one night, Okita delivered a sweeping slash of his blade. The intensity behind the steel was enough to halve a person in two, but Kaoru dissolved from his place on the floor like an apparition only to reappear on the veranda outside.

"No, I didn't think so." He presumed.

Okita launched from the floor in pursuit of the imposter, but just as his fighting instincts kicked in, his body convulsed into a spasm of coughing. This occurrence was progressively getting worse, much to his frustration. His whole body shook as his lungs struggled against the building moisture. Doubling over in-between gasps for air, Okita spit blood into the palm of his hand. Weakened, he slumped to the floor and checked for any signs of the intruder, but Kaoru was gone.

Cold fury replaced Okita's frustration.

"I can still fight," he murmured angrily.

A speck of moonlight caught the captain's eyes, drawing his attention to the vial of Ochimizu still resting on the floor.

Okita's heart smoldered in vindication.

"And next time…I won't let you escape."

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, this was a heavy chapter. The tone has shifted a little now that the Shinsengumi is facing a collection of mysterious foes: Kazama, Itou, and the Rebel Forces. Chizuru did what she could to save the First Division, but at great risk to her safety and identity. (In other words, the cat is outta the bag!)There is no doubt that the severity of the situation helped her progress through the Third Gate of the Demon Arts, but this marks a turning point for Chizuru in this story. Namely, she's a force not to be trifled with. Hijikata is beginning to come to terms with this; although, he has pledged not to forget the individual underneath the demon glamor and soldier's façade. I felt that a tender moment was appropriate between the two, as Chizuru loses face for the first time.

Also, Kaoru Nagumo has finally made his entrance into the plot! Woo! Did that throw you off a little? I know, I'm fudging the sequence of events that happens in the series a little, but there is a method to my madness. I promise. Was anyone else upset at how Chizuru gained and lost her twin brother in a couple of episodes? It was very tragic and dramatic. I've got a great plotline planned for the two of them.

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Hammer Found" – Patrick Doyle (Heisuke's Scene in the Courtyard)

"Ain't Nobody" – Jasmine Thompson

"Terrified" - Anna Ternheim

"Harry &amp; Hermione" – Nicholas Hooper (Chizuru/Hijikata Scene)

"A Narnia Lullaby" – Harry Gregson-Williams (Okita/Kaoru Scene)

Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to leave a review. You guys are the best!

girliebird


	10. The Fourth Gate: Skill

**Chapter Ten: _The Fourth Gate: Skill_**

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window of Senhime's drawing room casting her silhouette onto the rich threads of her indigo rug. The demoness had been observing the early morning activity of the compound in quiet reverie, but as her shadow stretched across the room, she found herself transfixed by its menacing nature. The way it materialized like a dark spirit amid the bright sunshine imbued her with a sense of foreboding.

"Milady, are you alright?"

Senhime broke from her silent spell. Blinking in cognizance, she found Kimigiku kneeling on the floor with a look of genuine concern.

"Kimi-chan." She voiced absently. "Yes, I'm fine."

The kunoichi's inquisitive eyes fell to the sword in her hands, and the demoness remembered the cause for her momentary crisis of conscious. Studying the weapon in her grasp, she murmured, "I was just lost in thought."

Kimigiku joined her by the window.

"My superiors are growing wary of us staying here," she informed the demoness as she slipped her hand into the sleeve of her haori. Procuring a thick piece of parchment emblazed with the Suzuka Gozen family seal; she handed it to Senhime and watched as her expression turned grim.

"They have asked me to persuade you to leave the Shinsengumi and return to the estate." She disclosed, "Things are becoming too dangerous for us to carry on this assignment much longer."

The kunoichi's words confirmed what Senhime had already deduced on her own.

"They are right to be wary. The longer we remain here, the more likely we are to get involved in the Shinsengumi's political affairs," she replied, "Demon custom forbids me to engage in human matters, but I cannot afford to abandon Chizuru now."

"Why not take her with us?" Kimigiku proposed. "She would be safer in our care, and we would be able to continue her training in the safety of the estate."

Senhime sighed.

"I'm afraid that is no longer an option, Kimi-chan." She refuted gently, "Chizuru's fate is intertwined with the fate of the Shinsengumi now."

Withdrawing from the window, Senhime approached the kotatsu table and placed the wakazashi sword next to the thin lacquer box Kondou Isami had given her the previous night. The sight of it only impelled her discomfort.

_Please give this to Yukimura-kun when you feel that she has fulfilled her training._ Kondou had implored her in the privacy of his office. _I wish for this to be a token of her bravery and dedication to the Shinsengumi._

He had handed her the box with a respectful bow, and she had complied eagerly. Taking the parcel into her hands, she lifted the lid a fraction of an inch to peek at the contents within. The gift had confused her at first, but as its implications dawned on her, Senhime pinned the Head Commander with a reproachful look.

_Kondou-san, are you sure about this?_ She asked.

_Yes, but I want you to decide when to give it to her._ He clarified. _As her mentor, you alone will know when she is ready._

As her mentor.

A dark premonition crept into her mind, chilling the warmth in her body.

Senhime parted Kondou with kind words, but when she and Kimigiku returned to their apartment, the demoness fell into a state of agitation that failed to dispel at the first signs of daybreak. Pacing in studious thought, the demoness began to contemplate her role as mentor to Chizuru Yukimura.

When she had originally proposed to instruct the girl in the Demon Arts, Senhime was guided by her desire to empower Chizuru. Her situation was more dire than most, what with the Shinsengumi's failed Rasetsu experiment and the threat of Kazama Chikage. Armed with her demonic powers, Senhime hoped that Chizuru would be able to protect herself against the rising danger. With her dependency on the Shinsengumi diminished, she could leave of her own free will.

But Senhime had misinterpreted Chizuru's motive for lingering in the encampment. She did not stay out of fear, as the demoness had originally suspected. It was clear the Shinsengumi cared for her a great deal, treating her as a comrade and integrating her into the group seamlessly. She was held in high esteem and gave her thoughts and opinions freely among the commanding elite. The respect she received was remarkable. It fascinated the demon princess to no end.

Despite all this; however, her concern for the girl remained steadfast. Chizuru's entanglement with the Shinsengumi destined her to a life of constant peril. This inevitable endangerment, joined with her inclination for self-sacrifice, meant that Chizuru's demonic powers would only further jeopardize her wellbeing.

Yesterday's incident with the ronin proved to the demoness that the girl did not fully grasp the magnitude of her powers. They were a source of incredible strength, true, but if used indiscriminately, they had the potential to destroy her…

This was the ultimate reason for Senhime's trepidation. She knew if she pressed onwards with Chizuru's training, she would only be equipping her student with more ways to put herself at greater risk. The girl's desire to protect the Shinsengumi was unbreakable under the power of love. But as her mentor, could Senhime allow this? Could she turn a blind eye to the consequences that lie ahead and press on with Chizuru's training? As Kondou had said, it was her decision to make. Hers and hers alone…

Burdened with a heavy conscious, Senhime knew she was running out of time. No matter how much she might disagree with Chizuru's commitment to the Mibu Wolves, she could not abandon her now. Senhime too was motivated by love.

She took a deep breath.

"Chizuru has made her decision," she declared at last, "and despite our reservations for her involvement with the humans, it is our duty to respect her wishes."

Crossing the room purposefully, the demoness kneeled in front of the jade-embellished chest resting in the corner. Pressing her hand to the lock mechanism, the sealing enchantment broke allowing her to lift the heavy lid. Throwing it back, she pulled the silk slip aside to reveal glittering metal scales.

"Bring her to me, Kimi-chan," she bid the kunoichi, "If our time is indeed coming to an end then we haven't a moment to lose."

Kimigiku gave an assertive nod.

"Yes, milady."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

When Chizuru woke, she anticipated the sharp pain of her injuries to reappear.

Matsumoto's concoction – however unpalatable it was – forced her into a deep, painless sleep that left her somewhat lethargic. Stirring from slumber, she drew the covers back to assess the damage. The gash in her arm had repaired itself at some point during the night, but she was more surprised to find her broken wrist had healed itself as well. Marveling at the absence of pain, Chizuru untied the bandages to reveal pristine white skin.

Being an oni certainly had its advantages.

To be absolutely sure, Chizuru tested her wrist by flexing her fingers first. When this produced no feelings of discomfort, she tried rolling her hand next. Nothing. Not even a pinch. It was perfect. Taking this as a sign that her power was fully restored, Chizuru summoned her akuma no chikara and produced a small crystal sphere of cobalt energy. It hovered above her cupped palms radiating with the pulse of a firefly. Studying its surface, Chizuru noticed that its composition had changed drastically.

What she was capable of procuring yesterday morning were rudimentary shields with flat surfaces akin to paneled glass. Today her shield was of a completely different conformation. Its surface had an embossed texture with a thousand tiny lines that engraved the crystal sphere in foreign calligraphy. She was reminded of Suzuka Gozen's illustration Senhime had shown her the first day of her training. The thin lines reminded her of all the cobalt lines twisting and intersecting its demon host.

Perhaps this was indicative of Chizuru's transformation. She was getting stronger.

Closing her hands over the crystal orb, she let it absorbed back into her skin.

_Kondou-san_. She remembered in alarm.

Recalling the Commander's early morning departure, Chizuru leapt into action. She needed to get dressed in haste or else risk missing him entirely. The journey he would be making was a dangerous one, and it was her desire to give him her safe regards.

Searching around for her hakama, she was momentarily discombobulated. Was it just her, or was her window on the opposite wall? And when had her shoji screen doubled in size? Inspecting the room further, she realized that it wasn't her apartment at all. The desk, damson coverlet, wooden chest, and tray of medicinal herbs could only belong to one person…

The events of last night came rushing back into her mind like an open floodgate.

Ah.

She remembered now. She had burst into tears. In front of Hijikata no less. Of all the capable, compassionate people that comprised the Shinsengumi headquarters, it was the impervious Demon Vice Commander who fell victim to her emotional instability. Fate had a funny way of working things out like that. The one person she was striving so hard to impress was the one person to see her in her moment of weakness.

Chizuru threw her head back in disappointment.

She didn't know what possessed her to reach out to Hijikata for solace, but in the heat of the moment, nothing had felt more right. When Hijikata bid her to show her true emotions, he probably did not anticipate the blubbering mess that resulted. Chizuru held no reservations as she purged her body of the fear and frustration that had been plaguing her conscious these past couple of weeks. At the time it had felt liberating to let go. If her demonic power had been fully restored, she probably would have engulfed the both of them in blue fire, but she did a pretty spectacular job of drowning the oni-fukuchou all the same.

Reluctant to leave her alone in her emotional state, Hijikata had brought her to his own apartment and tucked her into his pallet. Pulling the covers over her shoulders, he set to work on concocting an herbal fragrance that would help lull her to sleep. Chizuru tried her best to watch his methodical movements. To be treating her with such tenderness…it was so out of sync with his usual cold persona. Despite the medicine and Hijikata's incense, it was his very presence that finally allowed her to drift into unconsciousness.

Trailing a hand along the wood grain of his desk, Chizuru glanced at the open anthology of natural herbs, a hastily scrawled list of ingredients, and a half-finished briefing report. It was evident that the oni-fukuchou had kept himself busy without leaving her side during the course of the night.

_I am proud of you, Chizuru._

Remembering the chaste kiss he placed on her forehead, Chizuru felt her embarrassment quickly morph into bewilderment. Underneath that dangerously impenetrable exterior, Hijikata had expressed a level of sensitivity she had never known he was capable of possessing. The manner in which he held her, caressed her hair, whispered soft words of encouragement into her ear…It was becoming increasingly clear to Chizuru that the man she had grown to know during her time in the Shinsengumi – the notoriously coarse, unapproachable and severe Toshizo Hijikata – had an emotional depth she was barely beginning to understand.

He continued to surprise her…even now, as she stood idle in her cotton kimono leafing through his medical journal.

"Chizuru."

Startled from her clandestine investigation, she leapt aside from the desk and found the oni-fukuchou regarding her from the doorway.

"H-Hijikata-san!" She exclaimed nervously. Falling into a polite bow, she added, "good morning."

Hijikata lingered by the entrance, but swept her body with his lavender gaze.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her in his classic, stolid tone. He seemed rather cautious this morning.

"Better," she assured him with a smile, "much better. Thank you."

Actually, she was feeling rather self-conscious under the weight of his scrutiny.

Wondering what could captivate his attention so thoroughly, she glanced down to find the neckline of her kimono pulled apart ever so slightly giving the oni-fukuchou a scandalous display of creamy flesh. Gasping in distress, she tugged her collar together with white knuckles. It must have come a bit loose during her night of heavy slumber.

She wondered fretfully what the rest of her appearance might look like and realized her hair tumbled wildly over her shoulders. The mess atop her head gave her a disheveled appearance that was sure to couple nicely with her bright eyes. The oni-fukuchou watched her fidgeting with keen interest as he entered the room, taking slow, careful strides until he towered over her.

Taking in a shallow breath, Chizuru could not help the coral roses in her cheeks either.

"I did not expect you to be awake so soon," he confessed after a moment of silent deliberation. Dropping his probing gaze to her clasped hands, he reached out to take the wrist that had been injured only hours ago. Chizuru offered it to him obediently and watched the silent look of astonishment color his otherwise unreadable expression.

"It's healed."

"Yes, my chikara has been restored," she agreed softly.

Taking a moment to make her own examination, she found the Demon Vice Commander dressed in the black haori and gray hakama of his formal attire. The powder blue silk of his Shinsengumi shroud was missing, and Chizuru knew it could only mean one thing.

Searching his amethyst eyes, she asked, "Do you mean to leave headquarters?"

The lieutenant hummed in conformation.

"I will be pleading our case to the shogunate."

"The shogunate? But I thought Kondou-san advised against it."

"Yes, but Sannan and I both agree that it is still worth a try. We have the compound's defenses to take into account. When Kondou returns, our fortifications will be well within place to withstand rebel threats."

Chizuru grew pensive.

"Does that mean that Kondou-san has already left?" She asked.

"Yes."

She sighed, dropping her head dejectedly. She had missed him after all. If anything were to happen to the Head Commander on his journey through Satsuma lands, she would never forgive herself for missing the chance to impart him with some final words. She silently prayed that no ill will would befall Kondou as he raced for Akahori castle.

Understanding the nature of her thoughts, Hijikata hooked a finger under her chin to end her ferment as he forced her to meet his gaze. A tinge of tenderness colored his otherwise somber expression.

"Before he left, he asked me to ensure that your training continues. During his absence, you are to be given absolution of your duties in order to focus on your lessons." He relayed much to her surprise.

Hijikata grew stern as he amended, "However, I feel it is prudent to remind you not to push yourself too hard, Chizuru. Remember what I said about reflection."

"It's just as important as the training," she echoed with feverish warmth. Knowing the Head Commander had spared a few words for her before his departure gladdened her. If this was indeed his final sentiment, then Chizuru had a moral obligation to carry out his demand.

"I won't let you or Kondou-san down." She vowed.

Hijikata gave her an approving look. "Good."

Did she sense heat in his voice, or was she just imagining things?

Standing like this, perched on his index finger, she was reminded of the afternoon in the spare room where Hijikata had caught her in kimono and teased the blue fire from her body. At the time, she had been too nervous to respond to his challenge, but now she was overwhelmed with the budding desire to bridge the gap between them. Taking a step forward, Chizuru's heart hammered in her ribcage as she angled her face upwards. The oni-fukuchou's brows knitted in conflict, unsure of her intention, but he remained still all the same.

Determined to return the kiss he had bestowed on her last night, she lifted her gaze to just the shadow of his lip. She leaned forward feeling the heat of his skin just inches away from hers just as a flurried motion drew her attention to a figure standing in the doorway.

"Kimigiku-san!" She gasped like a fish out of water. A tempestuous gleam flashed in Hijikata's eyes as he turned his head to peer at the intruder.

"What is it now?" He growled as he withdrew his hand from her face.

"Good morning, Chizuru-chan. Please forgive my intrusion," the kunoichi recompensed in greeting (she gave a small cough), "Senhime requests your presence at once."

Chizuru and Hijikata shared a judicious look.

"Why the urgency?" He groused.

Kimigiku raised her brows defensively.

"Senhime is ready to commence with her training."

Her words were for the oni-fukuchou, but it was Chizuru to whom the kunoichi looked for compliance.

"It sounds pressing…I should probably go." She swayed Hijikata.

"Are you sure you are well enough?" He asked still unaccustomed to her rapid healing abilities.

She nodded with a determined gleam.

The oni-fukuchou had no further place to argue. Kondou _had_ insisted to make Chizuru's training her top priority, and Hijikata was forced to obey.

"Very well," he relinquished with an irritated sigh. "Go to her then. It is time I leave headquarters to meet with the shogun."

"I hope you are successful, Hijikata-san." Chizuru bid him in farewell. "Please be careful."

He watched her give a small curtsy before following the kunoichi into the morning sunshine. Free of any onlookers, the oni-fukuchou filled his lungs with air and exhaled slowly, but it did little to dispel the virility coursing through his body. The warmth of Chizuru's skin still lingered in his grasp, and he faintly wondered if it was her demonic power that spurred this vehemence, or his diminishing restraint.

Hijikata clenched his fist.

These little interruptions were growing tiresome.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Chizuru and Kimigiku raced across the compound in their effort to reach the south central barracks as soon as possible. Senhime's sense of urgency set the tone to Chizuru's racing thoughts as she pondered wildly what the demoness might have in store for her that day.

The kunoichi had given her no time to don her hakama, but instead draped her with a dark overcoat to shield her from the early morning cold. Chizuru wrapped it securely around her body as they cut a direct path through the training fields, weaving through a maze of wooden mannequins only to appear on the veranda in a state of breathlessness.

Recovering her composure, Kimigiku approached the entrance.

"Milady, I have brought the girl as you requested." She announced.

Without further preamble, Senhime parted the shoji screen open and - to Chizuru's shock - stepped out in full battle regalia. Gone was the flower of paradise and in its place a female warrior encased in an elaborate scaled tunic that poured down her torso like snake skin. The shiny metallic luster mesmerized Chizuru. Taking note of the pair of swords threaded through the sash of Senhime's white hakama, she had an inkling of what her training might entail.

Senhime stepped forward, and Chizuru was intimidated by her mentor's steel-clad physique. It was so startling to see this side of the demoness. She still had the distinguishable figure of a woman, but she _moved_ with the elegance of a swordsman.

Chizuru would have grown wary of Senhime if she had not pulled her into a loving embrace, pressing metal scales into her skin.

"Chizuru, thank goodness you are alright," she rejoiced in her usual candor, "We were so worried about you."

She pulled back to allow the girl room to breathe.

"I'm sorry for causing you grief, Osen-chan," Chizuru apologized as she remembered her mentor's chastisement from last night. She stooped into a courteous bow and pledged, "Under your guidance, I promise to exercise better common sense."

Senhime blinked. Sharing a discerning look with Kimigiku, the demoness softened.

"Come inside and we'll talk. There is much we have yet to discuss."

"Hai!"

Brought inside the lodge house, Chizuru was steered to the kotatsu table where a breakfast of grilled fish, miso soup, and steamed rice awaited her. Harboring quite the appetite, she devoured the meal eagerly while Kimigiku procured a deep scarlet haori and black hakama for her to wear. She dressed behind the changing screen in the room, but grew nervous when Kimigiku proceeded to hand her a pair of arm guards, leg guards, and a burnished metal chest plate with green tassels.

"Osen-chan, are you sure you want me to wear this?" She asked as she ran her fingers across the collar piece. She could see that it too bore a scaled motif. It seemed very old and very expensive. The shallow cuts marring its luster revealed that it had experienced quite a bit of peril at some point, and Chizuru wondered if the person wearing it had escaped unscathed.

Senhime took the armor from her with a cunning smile.

"This is my old training dou. It should fit you nicely," she said as she lowered it over Chizuru's head. Securing it to her shoulders by fastening the tassels into a decorative knot, Senhime rapped her knuckles against it appreciatively. "I have lived many thrilling experiences in this thing. It's very sentimental to be passing it on to you, Chizuru-chan."

"You're giving this to me?" She mouthed with wide eyes. Gingerly touching the panels, she discovered the chest plate to be amazingly light. The greaves moved in tune to her body, accentuating her mobility. She had never worn such a thing.

"Yes, it's yours now." Senhime smiled, but as she stepped back to appreciate Chizuru in her elegant armor, taking in the entire vision for the first time, her conscious grew heavy once again. Flooded by her mixed emotions, the demoness bid her pupil to take a seat on the tatami floor as she gathered her thoughts.

"This may sound a little off-putting, but the reason Kimigiku fetched you so early this morning is so that we may cover a few things before we resume your training," Senhime began as she rested her hands on her knees. "Due to the rebel attack yesterday afternoon, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will not be able to remain in the Shinsengumi much longer. Kimi-chan's shinobi clan is encouraging our immediate return."

Chizuru's keen attention was undermined by her visible disappointment. The thought of Senhime and Kimigiku's near-absence brought about a notably strong pang of sadness in her chest. She had grown so used to their familiar presence in the compound; the thought of them leaving was foreign to her.

Watching the disappointment stain her student's face, Senhime peered at her intently.

"I am sorry, Chizuru-chan. Under normal circumstances, the nature of your training would be a long, drawn out process, and you would have had the opportunity to delve into each demon art until you completely mastered your form," she divulged in an apologetic voice, "But because of our extenuating circumstances, I have no choice but to impart you with a substantial amount of information in a painfully short amount of time. There are still four gates you need to learn, after all, and they are imperative to your understanding of the Demon Arts."

Chizuru reeled back her emotions and tried to give her mentor a brave front.

"I understand," she intoned sensibly.

Senhime continued.

"You must know by now that our akuma no chikara is both a blessing and a curse. It is our greatest source of strength, but it is also our greatest liability. When our ancestors first developed the Demon Arts, it was not just a way to escape our enemies, but to regulate the destructive risk we pose to ourselves and those around us. Raised in demon society, a young oni learns that within the Demon Arts there inhabits a strict code of conduct. It exists to protect us from our blood-lust."

"Like a warrior's code," Chizuru ventured thinking of Hijikata and the Shinsengumi elite.

The demoness nodded, "Yes, it's exactly like a warrior's code. Very good, Chizuru-chan. Just as a samurai uses his killing prowess for the sake of honor, we too are responsible for upholding our demon honor. However, _our_ code compels us to use akuma no chikara in the rarest of occasions. Withdrawn to the margins of human society, we are forbidden to use our demon power to influence or subjugate. This is considered profoundly taboo."

"But Kazama chooses to participate in human skirmishes," interrupted Chizuru, "Does that not mean he is regressing from the demon code?"

"A demon with honor wouldn't be trying to kidnap his bride, now would he?" Senhime pointed out.

Chizuru cracked a weak smile. "I suppose you are right."

"Speaking of adversity, everything I have taught you so far is a defense mechanism to ward off your enemies," she explained, "but there are other aspects to your chikara as well. Aspects that can affect demons too."

Growing lively in her explanation, Senhime lifted to her feet gracefully and began to pace about the room. Chizuru watched the metal scales of her tunic moved with her body like a serpent preparing to strike. It added to her growing state of apprehension as she began to surmise what the demoness was getting to in her exposition.

"The Seven Gates of the Demon Arts represent different facets of your power. The First Gate taught you the art of summing your akuma no chikara. Through meditation, you now have the ability to draw forth your power. The Second Gate taught you the art of compulsion. Through Hex Gaze, you now have the ability to spellbind others to your will. The Third Gate taught you the art of protection. Through Akuma Shirūdo, you now have the ability to protect the ones you love."

"All of these, in a relative sense, comprise a demon's _defensive_ measures."

Senhime ceased her pacing, but kept her back turned from Chizuru. Unable to read her mentor's expression, Chizuru leaned forward on the tatami floor and asked, "What is the Fourth Gate, Osen-chan?"

Lifting her head so that the dark ponytail slipped from her shoulders and ran smoothly down her back, Senhime placed a hand to the hilt of her katana and withdrew it in alarming speed. Twisting around on the balls of her feet, she slashed the air in the room creating a loud _swoosh_ that tussled Chizuru's bangs. Holding her katana aloft in vulturine poise, Senhime trained her carmine gaze on her gaping pupil.

"Skill. The Fourth Gate of the Demon Arts is all about skill." She murmured in a low, chilling voice. Her katana gave a soft, metal hiss; the proverbial snake bite to her scales.

"In this lesson, you will learn the art of fighting like a demon."

* * *

**A/N:** Alright! Chizuru is getting ready to learn how to kick some ass. Woo! You go girl. The inspiration behind Senhime's scaled tunic resulted from researching Japanese armor and coming across a Wikipedia page for 'scaled armor'. If you scroll all the way down the page, be sure to check out the gold pangolin tunic. It is beautiful! Not quite the right nationality, but the structure of it on Senhime would look so otherworldly and dangerous. Inadvertently, I have given her a fashion penchant for scales and feathers.

Also, the budding romance between Chizuru and Hijikata is still gradual, but the boundary between them is finally beginning to blur. Things are going to pick up soon, my friends. (Steeples fingers menacingly.) Very, very soon…

Here is the soundtrack that inspired this chapter:

"Journey to the How" – Harry Gregson-Williams (Senhime/Kimigiku scene)

"Evacuating London" – Harry Gregson-Williams (Chizuru/Hijikata scene)

"There is a God in You" – Ramin Djawadi (Senhime/Chizuru scene)

"Exes and Ohs" – Matson Jones

Thank you so much for reading and for all those amazingly encouraging reviews, you angel faces. I melt into a febrile burst every time! There is another update coming soon, I promise. This next chapter is going to be extremely fun to compose.

girliebird


	11. The Blood Seal

**Chapter Eleven: _The Blood Seal_**

* * *

"In order to fight like a demon," Senhime prefaced, "you must first have a demon sword."

Angling her katana so the polished steel ran perpendicular to her form, the demoness gazed at it approvingly.

"This is one of the three swords forged by the celestial maiden Suzuka Gozen. It goes by the name _Daitsuren_, meaning 'first cut'. Legend has it that she used this sword to overthrow human oppression. It is the single most valuable heirloom of the Gozen Bloodline."

Daunted by its history, Chizuru studied the sword. It looked like any other katana she had ever laid eyes on. It was slender and sharp with a slight curve. The circular guard seemed a bit dull, but only because the hilt was a dark burgundy that matched the fire of Senhime's intelligent gaze. Aside from its proper form, she couldn't identify any peculiarities that would distinguish it from the average samurai sword.

"What makes it so different?" She asked uncertain.

"Its essence," replied the oni, running her fingers along its matte finish.

Her answer was vague and confusing enough to draw a look of skepticism from Chizuru.

"I don't understand. Its _essence_?" she questioned.

Last she knew a katana was an inanimate object incapable of possessing soul.

Senhime relaxed her stance and held the katana so that Chizuru could have a closer look.

"A demon sword, unlike its human counterpart, is forged in the akuma no chikara of its master." She clarified, "When Suzuka made _Daitsuren_; she concentrated her demon fire and compelled nature to produce a weapon worthy of her possession. But in order to complete the spell, she had to perform a blood seal and infuse her power into the sword."

For illustrative effect, Senhime summoned forth her akuma no chikara. Letting it ripple through her body like fresh adrenaline, she allowed her sword to pulsate with faint azure light.

"Suzuka's power lives on in _Daitsuren_," She explained, "and because of the blood seal, it awakens only for her descendants. In the hands of a human, it is useless, but in the hands of a pure blood heir, it is fatal."

Chizuru's skin prickled in alarm as a heady aura began to radiate from the sword. The sudden sensation was disconcerting, as it assaulted her senses. _Come closer_, it seemed to beckon to her, _come closer and feel the wrath of my bite. Feel the sting of my fangs. _But just as the crescent steel began to bare its teeth at her, Senhime withdrew her chikara ending its cantankerous smoldering. _Daitsuren_ grew dormant once more, returned to its scabbard as a snake to its hollow.

Chizuru gave a shaky laugh.

"Scary, huh?" Senhime agreed with flickering eyes. "Suzuka had a passion for martial combat. _Daitsuren_ was her favorite, because it always lusted for a good fight. It embodies her hunger. When I fight with her sword, I fight with the power of Suzuka Gozen. This is what makes a demon sword so exceptional."

"Well," said Chizuru, frowning, "I may be a pure blood, but I don't possess a demon sword."

"Ah, but that's the thing! You _do_." Senhime elated with a flashing smile. "I hope you don't mind, Chizuru-chan, but while you were…_occupied_…last night, I took the liberty of examining your wakazashi."

Chizuru adopted a poker face as she watched the demoness float over to the wooden kotatsu table and pick up a familiar sword.

"It's very faint," said Senhime, "but undeniable. The power of your ancestor courses within this sword. I can sense it."

This caught Chizuru completely by surprise.

Taking the blade into her grip, she held it with newfound appreciation. The familiar hilt with its red tassel fit perfectly in the palm of her hand, and if she were to draw the cold steel from its sheath it would glimmer like a polished jewel. The composition of it was just right for her small build. She could brandish it with ease.

Holding it now, she was filled with a tremendous amount of relief. She had grown so accustomed to wearing it as part of her disguise in the Shinsengumi; it was eerie to think she had been carrying it all this time not knowing the incredible power within her grasp.

It was Koudou who had given it to her.

_Keep this close to you, Chizuru_. He had insisted. _Remember your training and always keep a watchful eye. I want you to be able to defend yourself while I am away. This sword will keep you safe._

That night, Chizuru had been moved by his display of fatherly concern. But as she contemplated over the memory now, she couldn't help wonder if he had entrusted the Yukimura sword to her knowing she would have the potential to wield it someday. It was under his tutelage that she had trained at the local dojo after all.

Chizuru tilted her head curiously.

"How do I wield it?"

"You must reenact the blood seal," Senhime answered, "Draw forth your chikara and slice the pad of your thumb along the edge. When you feel your wakazashi stir to life, recite these words: I, Chizuru Yukimura, Heir to the Eastern Demon Clan, hereby complete this contract."

_Ah, seems simple enough._ Chizuru rejoiced. And here she was beginning to think that all the Demon Arts had a nasty catch…

Attuned to her thoughts, Senhime shook her head.

"No, Chizuru. It's not as simple as it sounds," she said dimly. "When a pure blood performs a blood seal on an ancestral blade, they too must fuse their power with the sword. Otherwise, the enchantment is annulled."

"How much of my power are we talking about?" asked Chizuru.

"Enough." The demoness murmured. "It is a high price to pay, but a worthy one all the same. The blood seal is what coerces the demon sword to obey your will."

"Hmm…" Chizuru hummed with a degree of apprehension. "Will it hurt?"

"Just a tiny sting," assured Senhime, "Although, the power in the blade will try to overcome you in its attempt to escape. Demon swords are notoriously fickle. _Daitsuren_ nearly killed me it was so stubborn…uh, but it only lasted a second!" She quickly amended with a boisterous laugh. Chizuru appeared to have fallen ill. Her face took on an uncharacteristically green sheen, and Senhime realized she had said too much.

"All it takes is a moment. Once the blood seal is performed, the demon sword is yours."

"Just a sting?" Chizuru mumbled under her breath. Senhime nodded.

Extracting the blade from its scabbard, Chizuru summoned her chikara. After days of practicing this art, it burst forth like a willing attendant eager to do her bidding. Training her focus onto the sword, she sliced the pad of her thumb on the razor-sharp edge. The sting was nothing compared to the broken wrist or flesh wounds of her recent past. In fact, to make sure the cut was deep enough, she pressed it harder so a thick droplet of blood stained the polished steel.

The wakazashi reacted immediately. Giving a powerful tremor that crept all the way up Chizuru's sword-bearing arm, it grew unnaturally cold. In fact, so cold, the hilt began to sear her hand as if she had a chunk of ice between her fingers. Aroused from slumber, the demon power surged forth in a plume of white mist. It curled around Chizuru contemptuously, and she saw the warmth of her breath turn to icicles. Wracked with chills, she nearly lost her concentration as the wintry phantom attacked her in a wild flurry of ice.

"Complete the blood seal!" Senhime yelled above the commotion.

Chizuru remembered herself.

"I, Chizuru Yukimura, Heir to the Eastern Demon Clan, hereby complete this contract."

She spoke the words with unwavering intent, letting her voice tame the wild shuddering of her wakazashi. The foreign power fought against her, straining for freedom, but after an intense moment or two, it finally subdued under her control. Growing still, the blade began to pulsate with the same azure light.

Unnervingly, Chizuru felt complete.

"Good," Senhime said in her soft, silky voice, "very good. We are ready to begin."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

In the absence of its Head Commander, the Shinsengumi compound became a restless animal that paced its cage anxiously. It could sense the approaching storm from the north where thick white clouds were brewing, and it strained against the tufts of wind that tore cherry blossoms from its trees. Amid the falling flower petals, soldiers swept across the encampment like a pack of angry wolves. They took to the training fields to hone their skills; they took to the infirmary to tend the wounded. Some stalked the perimeter of the complex, while most prowled the streets in search of ronin prey to quell their vengeful thirst.

The Shinsengumi held a reputation for burning brightest in the darkest hour. Kimigiku realized the truth of it as she watched the drama unfold, her eyes calculating.

With the entire complex in an uproar, it was providing perfect camouflage for the demonic sword fight taking place behind her. Standing from her perch, Kimigiku walked around the south central barracks and surveyed the small piece of terrain where Senhime and Chizuru dueled. It was a perfect space, really, with its level ground ideal for footwork. It had a small cluster of stones off to the side that was perfect for climbing and a thicket of bamboo that was perfect for dodging. If the duel got pushed up onto the terrace, which Senhime ensured it _did_, it provided the latticework, pillars, and glossy wooden floor for a truly spectacular sword fight.

True to her word, Senhime struck a hard bargain.

Delivering a direct blow that screeched along Chizuru's wakazashi until it struck her guard; the demoness sent her flying backwards into the dirt.

"You almost have it, Chizuru." She called out, shifting _Daitsuren_ in her hand. "Be sure when you perform a parry to angle your stroke. Now, _again_!"

Chizuru leaped back onto her feet to meet Senhime's onslaught as they continued exchanging blows.

Kimigiku watched the two with fascination. She remembered a time when _she_ had trained with the demon princess.

It had been a few years ago that the kunoichi and oni sparred together under the surveillance of her shinobi elders. Senhime brandished her demon sword for the first time as Kimigiku employed her repertoire of combat moves. The purpose of the training exercise was to see how well the two complimented each other if Senhime should ever be threatened and Kimigiku had to rescue her from a fight. The duel had been one of the single most thrilling experiences of her shinobi career - fighting against the power of a pure blood demon. Now who could boast about that these days?

Kimigiku cracked a sly smile. Just as Senhime pummeled Chizuru into the dirt, Kimigiku had flattened the demon princess on multiple occasions. It filled her with nostalgia to watch her charge deliver the same, swift moves _she_ had used during their training.

To her credit, Chizuru was putting up a fair fight. The girl had mentioned basic dojo training when she lived in Edo with her father, and she demonstrated a keen talent for momentum redistribution. When Senhime taught her the five basic forms of self-defense, she had been delighted when Chizuru managed to redirect several of her attacks. However, when the demoness switched to modes of attack Chizuru struggled with adjusting to the power of her sword.

As far as Kimigiku understood, the demon sword already possessed the mastery of form. All the master had to do was perform the right sequence of strokes. It was like learning calligraphy, really. Chizuru need only learn the strokes that made the character. The first few times, the character would be blotched and sloppy, but as she continued to master the weight of her stroke, the angle of her wrist, the flourish of her brush, the character would become finer and finer until it reached perfection.

Chizuru angled her stroke, successfully blocking Senhime's attack. Thrusting her momentum downward, she changed the position of her hand and delivered a blow that sent Senhime reeling on her feet.

"Beautiful!" The demoness applauded. "You are doing absolutely wonderful. Want to run through that entire sequence again?"

Chizuru rolled her shoulders to release some of the soreness from her fall, but nodded eagerly.

"Yes, from the beginning," she panted, "But can we add that upward vertical draw you were telling me about?"

"You want to try it? Alright. Sheath your sword and relax on the ground. We'll see how well you do at a quick draw," Senhime instructed.

They went on like this for hours.

Keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings, Kimigiku was entertained by the two demons. They worked on basic footwork all morning, but as Chizuru began to grow more confident with her sword, Senhime had her all over the place practicing her groundwork. It was easy to fight on level ground, but more than likely Chizuru would find herself in many random situations where the ground was anything _but_ level. To prepare her for this, they dueled on top of the stones where Chizuru learned upwind and downwind techniques. She learned how to jump from a rock and land into a defensive crouch with her sword poised for an attack. They tested each other in the bamboo thicket dodging each other's advances and weaving through the maze unscathed. When that grew old, Senhime had Chizuru up on the railing of the veranda practicing her balance on the wooden beam. All the while, their demon swords pulsated in that blue light that reminded the kunoichi of the cobalt flames of their akuma no chikara.

Senhime strove to impart Chizuru with all the wisdom of the Demon Arts, but with an impossible deadline, she could only provide a basic framework at best. In their absence, it would be Chizuru's responsibility to pursue her own talents. Kimigiku knew this troubled the demoness. Leaving the girl alone with her newly awakened power was just as bad as leaving a baby in a room with an unsheathed katana. Add political strife, Rasetsu and Kazama to the mix and you had a delicious recipe for _disaster_.

No wonder Senhime had panicked last night.

Kimigiku had delayed in responding to the letter she had received that morning, hoping it would buy Senhime a little more time to instruct Chizuru. But the delay would be nothing significant. If she didn't return the Gozen heir to her family fortress with a day or two, it would only be a matter of time before her shinobi clan descended upon the Shinsengumi headquarters.

She gave a sharp sigh.

When Kimigiku had urged the demoness to reconsider taking Chizuru with them, she had spoken out of sincere concern for the girl. In all their time together, the kunoichi had grown rather fond of Chizuru, and the desire to protect her was overwhelming. In fact, she reminded her of Senhime so much, it was almost as if they were sisters. But where Senhime was feisty and argumentative, Chizuru was determined and fierce. Neither girl embodied a particularly violent disposition; however, their moral conviction was what drew them so close together in their alikeness.

Perhaps in another life, they truly _were_ sisters.A clap of thunder sounded off in the distance, stirring Kimigiku from her observation.

Peering into the sky, she spotted a gray cloud approaching.

"A storm is coming," she whispered.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

By the time the Second Division Captain of the Shinsengumi returned to headquarters, his feet were dragging behind him in exhaustion. He had been part of the vanguard that followed Kondou to the edge of Kyoto early that morning, but as sunrise broke across the city, Shinpachi patrolled all throughout its streets in search of the ronin who nearly destroyed Okita and his men. After hours of fruitless searching, he finally returned to the compound feeling tired and frustrated.

"Nagakura-kun, you're back," Sannan greeted as the captain shuffled into the refectory. "Any luck with the investigation?"

Shinpachi caught the delectable smell of teriyaki pork and his mouth began to water.

"Nah. The streets are as polished as Inoue's bald spot," he huffed, taking a seat in his usual spot. Several trays of food had been laid out, but the room was missing quite a few occupants.

Frowning, he asked, "It's unusual to see you awake at this hour, Sannan-san. Where is everyone?"

"Hijikata left to meet with the Shogun this morning. I am acting in his charge while he is away," the bespectacled Rasetsu murmured over the rim of his tea mug. "As for the others, I imagine they are still out patrolling."

"Okita?"

Sannan's face fell into lines of misery. Shaking his head, he said, "Okita-kun is still recuperating. Dr. Matsumoto is spending time with him. He assures me his wounds are not fatal, but he will still need some time to recover."

Silent rage filled the otherwise comical swordsman as he clenched his fists.

"Those damn bastards," he hissed.

"Who, us?" Sanosuke exclaimed in mock offense. "That is no way to speak of your fellow comrades when they are not here to defend themselves, Shinpachi-san."

The spearman entered the room with Inoue close behind. They were both still dressed in their blue silk, which was an indication that they too had been patrolling all morning. Sanosuke sank into his usual spot with an audible sigh.

"You are late. With all this good food, it is unacceptable." Shinpachi responded. With a thin smile, he asked, "How are you feeling, Harada?"

"Like my body got pulverized in a bone crusher," he complained, rubbing his neck sourly. "Installing thirty mannequins and then having to turn right around and patrol for six hours is _not_ my idea of fun. Hijikata will feel my wrath."

"I too have a few choice words for our oni-fukuchou when he returns," Shinpachi agreed as he felt his own exhaustion taking over. If the Shinsengumi wasn't so strapped for personnel, he would have sought refuge in the comfort of his room, but the day was only half through. Having Kondou absent from headquarters made him too anxious to relax anyway. Somehow, he would muster the energy to spend another six hours on patrol.

"Nothing noteworthy to report, Sannan-san," said Inoue. He took a deep draft of his tea and sighed. "The streets were peaceful this morning. It has me suspicious."

"Any word from Yamazaki yet?" Sanosuke asked, laying hopeful eyes on the Vice Commander.

Sannan shook his head. "No, nothing yet. But we should assume he'll be sending word anytime now. We just have to be patient."

"No offense Sannan-san, but patience isn't one of my best qualities," Shinpachi disputed.

"Kondou ordered us to wait, so _wait_ is what we will do," reprimanded the Rasetsu austerely.

Growing uncomfortable by the tension mounting in the air, Sanosuke took a big bite of his rice before asking, "Anyone know what Chizuru has been up to this morning? I mean, is she okay? Senhime was mentioning something about rapid healing abilities at breakfast."

The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Just as the words left the spearman's mouth, two figures leapt onto the veranda with feline grace before dashing into the room.

"Ah, food…" Senhime languished with a happy sigh.

Chizuru followed her, announcing, "I am _starving_."

Without further ceremony, the two girls plopped onto the floor and began to eat immediately. Tearing at the teriyaki pork with their teeth and stuffing their mouths full of rice, their ravenous display earned them a round of traumatized looks from the officers.

"Ch-Chizuru?!" Shinpachi exclaimed, choking over his tea.

The lovely, docile Chizuru Yukimura, delicate flower of the Shinsengumi, sat atop the tatami mat with her legs crossed like a man as she shoveled rice into her mouth using her chopsticks. He could see that her legs and arms were covered with armor and she wore a polished metal dou over a dark red haori. The shade of red bounced against the natural flush of her skin. If her state of attire wasn't so alarming, it was the blotches of dried blood, dirt, sweat, and – Shinpachi had to narrow his eyes –splintered _bamboo chips_ that elicited his absolute shock.

"Good afternoon, Shinpachi-san. Sanosuke-san. Sannan-san. Inoue-san." She gushed between mouthfuls. Taking several gulps of her tea, she set to work on her vegetables.

"My, my, she has recovered," Sanosuke whistled with incredulous yellow eyes. Making his own scrutiny of her physical appearance, he couldn't deny it was a bit disarming to see the girl in her new battle regalia. Dressed as she was, Chizuru appeared to be a completely different person. He would go so far as to say _dangerous_. The same could be said of her mentor too.

Senhime handed Chizuru another bowl of rice.

"You need to eat more," she insisted. "It will help replenish your energy."

"Hai."

Shinpachi grew uneasy at the sight of the demon princess, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. Whenever her carmine eyes ghosted over his, the hairs on the back of his neck would prickle and his throat would feel sore again. The sensation was vexing…

Senhime felt the weight of his gaze and returned it with a mischievous look.

"How are you, Nagakura-san?" She asked politely. "Have you been working on your singing pitch?"

_Singing pitch?_ Shinpachi scowled.

Chizuru choked on some rice, her face turning a deep red.

"Chizuru-chan, how is training?" Sannan proffered in a meager attempt to restore conversation in the room.

"It's going great! Senhime is teaching me a lot," Chizuru grinned, her eyes bright despite the blotch of mud on her cheek.

"She's learning how to wield her wakazashi like a true demon," Senhime agreed. She trained her eyes on a dish of vegetables from a nearby tray. She was so _hungry_.

"Swordplay? Is this true, Chizuru?" Shinpachi pressed with furrowed brows.

Chizuru nodded ecstatically. Hours of constant adrenaline and demon power coursing through her body – mixed with a voracious hunger – made her feel giddy.

"Yes, it was hard at first, but I'm starting to get the hang of it." She smiled, her eyes searching for something else to eat. Seeing her dilemma, Inoue hesitantly offered her his own bowl of rice.

"Oh, really Inoue-san? Thank you so much!" She gushed, taking the bowl from his hand and downing its contents swiftly.

Inoue gave an ambiguous laugh.

"Girls, I found a spare tray of rice balls in the kitchen," Kimigiku called from outside. "We can take them with us back to the lodge."

"Kimi-chan, you clever and beautiful kunoichi,you! How excellent," Senhime rejoiced.

To Chizuru she asked, "What do you say? Ready to give it another go?"

Swiping her mouth in attempt to rid it of stray rice kernels, Chizuru took a hearty breath.

"I'm ready," she nodded.

With the same amount of formality that they had arrived, Senhime and Chizuru dashed through the room and jumped off the veranda disappearing after the kunoichi carrying the tray of divine nourishment. Their dramatic exit left the room in a momentary, awkward state of pause.

"Was that the same Chizuru?" Shinpachi hedged tentatively, jabbing a thumb toward the entrance. "She seems so…_different_."

"It appears Senhime is wasting no time in taking advantage of Kondou's orders," Sanosuke murmured as he stroked his lip in thought. "How do you suppose Hijikata-san will react to this?"

All occupants in the room responded with the same dubious look.

_As if you need to ask_, they all seemed to scoff.

Sanosuke chuckled.

"Well, this is going to be interesting."

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, this chapter was so much fun to write. I've been conceptualizing the lunchroom scene ever since I laid out the framework for this story. It felt so good to finally commit it to words. Oh, and the blood seal scene. That was fun too. I did a bit of research on Suzuka Gozen to prevent any crossed boundaries with regard to Senhime's demon sword and ended up learning a lot of neat stuff. Namely, Suzuka was a beautiful battle maiden betrothed to a demon prince, but she fell in love with a human. It's just as Senhime tells it, folks. The power of love overcomes all adversity.

Also, it was fun to write from Kimigiku and Shinpachi's perspectives. Kimigiku is forever watchful, while Shinpachi tends to always be the voice of dissent.

Here is the soundtrack that inspired this chapter:

"Mermaids" – Hans Zimmer (Chizuru's Blood Seal scene)

"Entering the Stronghold" – Denny Schneidemesser (Senhime/Chizuru duel)

"Fire Bending Training" – Mark Zuckerman (Senhime/Chizuru duel)

"Lyra, Roger and Billy" – Alexandre Desplat (Lunchroom Scene)

Thank you so much for reading, everyone. Those reviews are the highlight of my day! Another chapter is in the works, so stay tuned.

girliebird


	12. The Fifth Gate: Illusion

**Chapter Twelve: _The Fifth Gate: Illusion_**

* * *

"It's true. The Gozen heir is teaching her the demon arts," Kyo Shiranui mused through a devilish smile.

Kazama reclined against the railing of a balcony that overlooked an ornate garden. Its natural beauty was overshadowed by a light downfall of rain, but the demon prince found his attention spanning beyond the delicate blossoms and onto a certain delicate girl. Conjuring a mental image of Chizuru Yukimura, he tried to imagine her versed in the ways of a demon and almost laughed. The idea was too absurd, even if she _was_ a pure blood oni.

"Your first few impressions must not have been enough to kindle the internal flame, Chikage." Shiranui taunted, hands on his hips. "The girl means to fight you."

Kazama flashed him a cold look.

"Why does the Gozen brat feel compelled to teach her? She is not family," he pondered out loud, "Last I recall; there was no love between the Gozen and Yukimura clans."

Shiranui leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Who knows? Senhime might have a hidden agenda that requires Chizuru in order to get to _you_." He offered lazily. Demon politics were never his preferred topic of conversation, but there was something particularly amusing about the vivacious and stubborn Senhime living among a bunch of Mibu Wolves. When he had spotted her a few days ago within the complex with her tall kunoichi close behind, he took in their samurai clothing and could only put two and two together.

"She hates you, if you remember."

Now this, Kazama had to chuckle.

"Yes, I remember," he grinned. There had once been a time where she had been the object of his pursuit, but the Gozen girl was like a princess locked away in a tower with a scary, fire-breathing dragon outside her moat (namely a kunoichi). Her clan was extremely well-established in this part of Japan and their union to the shinobi clan made things far too inconvenient for the demon prince. But Chizuru; on the other hand, well… she was like a sitting duck that came with her own cooking pot and leeks. She too was locked away in a tower, but full of humans who could not hope to withstand the power of Kazama Chikage for _he_ was the scary, fire-breathing dragon clawing at their moat.

In simpler terms, Chizuru was easy pickings.

Or at least she _had_ been. This business with the Demon Arts changed things ever so slightly. The girl would never rise to his level of mastery, but it was still a cause for concern nonetheless. As the sole heir to the Yukimura Clan, Chizuru possessed the incredible power of a pure blood. She was among the elite of demon society, a princess of noble birth. It was why Kazama lusted after the idea of their two houses joining together. With the East and the West unified by marriage, all of demon tradition would subvert to his rule.

Power, prestige, wealth, beauty…all of it his if only he captured Chizuru.

"I say…let her try and best me," he murmured after a moment of thought. A dark fire ignited in his vermillion gaze as his mind continued to churn with hunger. "Let's see how powerful she becomes when I kill her beloved oni-fukuchou. Let's see how powerful she becomes when I rid her of the only reason she fights. It may be a glorious sight to behold, Kyo."

The gun-bearing demon met his gaze with a grim expression.

"If that is truly what you want, Kazama."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Chizuru slid to an immediate halt. Sword in hand and held at the ready, she raked the wet hair from her face and took a moment to gather her bearings. Peering deep into the darkness, she tried locating the south central barracks, but its familiar shape was eclipsed by an expanse of thick, green bamboo shoots that circled her like the bars of a cage, increasing her sense of claustrophobia.

_Calm down_. She panted wildly. _Focus. Focus on your power._

Her demon sword hummed with anticipation.

During the course of the night, dark clouds had crept across the sky bringing with it rain and thunder. A light drizzle dampened her face, but Chizuru relished the cold sensation. It felt so luxurious after hours of dueling in her heavy silks and metal armor. Letting it be the sedative to her racing thoughts, Chizuru tried to shake off her growing fatigue as she dropped into a defensive crouch. Angling her sword so that she could perform and upward thrust at the first opportunity, she took a step forward.

Hours in the bamboo thicket had trained her to appreciate the vertical strokes every bit as much as the sweeping horizontal ones. They made for better maneuverability in tight, cramped quarters like this. Even so, she kept the majority of her weight resting on the balls of her feet so that she could make a tactical move in the event of being rushed from the sides.

If Senhime had taught her anything in the past twenty-four hours, it was to never let your guard down.

Her sword continued to pulsate with blue light, eagerly awaiting its spar mate.

_Where did they go?_ It seemed to grumble anxiously. _We have a fight to settle._

Chizuru grinned in disbelief. She was still coming to terms with the fact that her sword was capable of expressing sentiments beyond her imagination. When Senhime had mentioned demon swords having essence, she hadn't truly understood the concept until after performing the Blood Seal. Once the oath had been made, Chizuru became receptacle to its true nature.

She could _feel_ its emotions. Not all of them were warm and fuzzy though.

At first it had ostracized her, filling her psyche with enough disdain to give her a slight headache. The demon power had nearly escaped its corporeal form in the middle of her Blood Seal, but lashed out in anguish as it fell back under Chizuru's control. Unfamiliar with its new master, it tasted her chikara as a connoisseur would taste fine sake, mulling over its potency.

_I don't know you._ It griped at her at last. _Do you even know how to fight?_

When the moment came for her to combat against Senhime and the power of _Daitsuren_, her sword was clumsy and awkward. Its intentions were out of sync with hers and it took a while to adjust to their newfound connection. After a few minutes of sparring; however, Chizuru discovered that as her confidence rose, her sword became easier to yield. Acting on her findings, she continued to fortify their bond until they fought with unanimous willpower and ferocity.

Now they were essentially one.

_Let's outsmart Senhime this time._ She thought wryly. _Together._

The wakazashi pulsed in agreement.

Heavy footfalls forewarned Chizuru of trouble just in time for her to swirl around and meet the adversary head on. Clanking steel-on-steel, she kept her ground and threw her weight forward, but gasped when she met the vermillion gaze of Kazama Chikage.

"Chizuru," he drawled, "I have come for you."

Wild fear coursed through her body at the sight of the blond demon, and she was in danger of losing her focus. Sensing her weakening resolve, the wakazashi zapped her with a small shock. _Fight him! Fight him!_ It sang. Chizuru remembered herself and shed her fear immediately.

She pushed back against his blade and lunged toward him for another assault, performing the upward stroke in a blur of red silk. Kazama met it with his own katana, but caught it at the guard and tried to rip the wakazashi out of her hands. Chizuru grunted as she sank to her knees and rolled to avoid an overhead strike.

Landing at his back, she jumped up and met his parry with another cloying ping of metal. All the while, her mind began to scheme. That was the sole purpose of this exercise after all. Chizuru had to simultaneously fight and spellbind in the midst of a dangerous enemy.

Kazama thrust her backwards, sending her to the ground.

"So weak," he murmured, raising his katana for the killing blow.

Bringing it down in one swift, solid motion, the impact sliced through Chizuru.

She burst into a cloud of leaves.

The _real_ Chizuru stepped out of her camouflage and attacked the Kazama imposter, sinking her wakazashi into the skin between his shoulder blades. The apparition gave a believable cry of agony before dissipating into a foggy mist.

She took a shaky step back.

"How was that, Osen-chan?" She asked, completely winded. Resting her hands on her knees, Chizuru tried to catch her breath. The demoness materialized besides her with a troubled look.

"That was a solid illusion, Chizuru. Your longest apparition yet." She congratulated. "You managed to deceive my fake Kazama long enough to sneak up on him. Very good."

Chizuru withdrew her chikara. Sheathing her sword, she collapsed on the floor.

"Akuma Shinkirō is _hard_," she groaned. "I almost lost it when Kazama appeared. I knew he wasn't real, but he frightened me all the same."

Senhime's face contorted with apprehension.

"This is what has me worried, Chizuru," she confessed with arms crossed over her chest. "If you should ever face the _real_ Kazama, you will need to do much more than that to trick him. The Third Deadly virtue requires tremendous amounts of power in order to bring your visions into reality. But once they manifest, it takes an incredible amount of focus to maintain the illusion."

Senhime heaved a mirthless laugh.

"And you know what's even worse?" She asked Chizuru rhetorically. "Kazama happens to be a master of Akuma Shinkirō."

Chizuru was careful to keep her expression neutral as she digested Senhime's words.

"That may be so, but he would never stoop so low to use it," Chizuru murmured after a quiet moment of thought. Lifting her head so the rain fell gently on her face, she closed her eyes. "Kazama is cruel, violent, and proud. But he would rather knock me unconscious with the hilt of his sword than resort to illusion. He's immoral, no doubt about that, but not completely without principle."

"You are giving him the benefit of the doubt," the demoness intoned.

"Maybe," said Chizuru, hunching her shoulders. "But at least I have a better idea of what I'm up against, thanks to you, Osen-chan. I don't feel so helpless anymore."

It seemed a lifetime ago that Kazama and his miscreants had broken into the compound to retrieve her. At the time, she had fearlessly raced toward the entrance to support the Shinsengumi, but she was powerless to do anything to help them. Now, armed with the powers of her demon lineage, Chizuru could do much more than support the Shinsengumi. She could _fight_.

Reading the aspiring fire in her pupil's copper eyes, Senhime crouched low before her.

"Chizuru, listen to me. Everything that I have taught you up until this point has been in effort to empower you. As a pure blood, you cannot hope to live a full and happy life without understanding your natural powers. This has been much more than self-defense, I realize. It has been more about coming to terms with your true identity. However," she counseled severely, "armed as you are now, this does _not_ give you the right to go gallivanting onto the battlefield as a shield for your Shinsengumi. Nor does it give you the right to seek out Kazama. As a full-fledged demon, you must now abide by the Demon Code."

Chizuru listened intently, but couldn't help thinking that the demoness sounded a lot like Hijikata. The two were a lot alike whenever Chizuru grew bold enough for a good scolding. Finding the thought amusing, she could not help the smile that spread across her face.

Senhime quirked a brow.

"Are you even listening to me?" She asked.

"I won't go gallivanting onto the battlefield," Chizuru assured the demoness, her smile broadening. "But I won't be a burden either."

Senhime puffed a sigh that sent tendrils of her hair flying.

"I swear you are going to give me a stomach ulcer." She grudged, lifting to her feet. "I'm beginning to understand what Kimigiku has gone through all these years. Serves me right, I suppose. Come on, let's take a break from this rain and warm ourselves up with some tea. We can resume your training in a little while."

She offered her a hand and Chizuru took it gratefully.

Heading back toward the central barracks, Chizuru couldn't help but pause. Looking back at the place where she had stabbed the Kazama-like apparition, she wondered if she would have the resolve to stab someone in real life. The illusion had felt so life-like; it left her feeling somewhat disturbed.

Perhaps she did had the capacity for violence after all.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Hajime Saito strained against the torrential pour gushing from the eaves of the pagoda roof, as he tried in vain to listen to the very important meeting taken place inside the temple. Suppressing an irritated sigh, the master swordsman realized he would have to seek a better spot. Holding his katana in one hand while the other trailed along the stone surface of the exterior wall, he dodged a couple water-laden branches of a nearby red maple before finding a dry spot underneath a shoji screen window.

Settling into the thick foliage, Hajime pressed his back against the wall and listened.

Ah, the voices were loud and clear. So long as the sky didn't erupt with thunder.

He would have to remain crouched like this, resting on his heels, but it was the only way to make sense of the conversation unfolding within. Hajime spared a commiserating thought for Yamazaki and his line of work. If this is what spying entailed, Hajime was happy to me a samurai.

Content with his location, he resigned himself to espionage.

The temple was located a mile outside Kyoto's city limits on the north side. It was nothing fancy, a mere hut compared to the grand temples that filled the streets of Kyoto. It sat just off the main road in a cluster of tall pine trees. Travelers would often stop to make offerings, seeking divine blessings for their journey ahead. The road had become a dangerous place as of late, but now under the threat of rain, both road and temple were temporarily desolate. Most travelers would be seeking shelter from the nearby inn, saving their temple offerings for a more promising day.

Isolated, the temple became an ideal place for conspiracy.

It was here that Hajime had followed Itou Kashitarou and his two leading lieutenants of the Mausoleum's Guard to this precise spot. The journey had been slow and it took most of the morning to reach the temple. He knew he was jeopardizing his cover by abandoning his division to follow the captain, but it was rare for Itou to travel with his leading subordinates, and even rarer for them all to leave the walls of the estate together. Hajime was used to seeing them leave one at a time, intermittently, but the manner in which they left the compound suggested something much more devious than another routine visit to the red lights district for sake.

The swordsman had no time to hesitate. His mission was simple and he would not disappoint Hijikata.

Three samurai had walked into the temple, but there were four voices stirring within.

"Tatsuya-kun, you were able to meet with us today." Itou intoned in obvious delight. "How fortunate. This indicates that our plans are running smoothly."

"Hai, Itou-dono," came Tatsuya's gruff reply.

"Well, now that we are all here and under one roof," Itou continued, "Let's talk business."

"Tadao-san, how about a status report." The Captain of the Mausoleum's Guard ordered.

There were sounds of shuffling as the lieutenant rose to his feet.

"The monetary subsidy from our associate benefactor has been used in the purchasing of new weapons and uniforms for the recruits. I had a shipment delivered to the compound two days ago to be distributed among the divisions," Tadao affirmed, "another delivery was shipped five days ago and should have reached Yuu and his faction by now. There is still plenty of money left to pay everyone's salaries for the next two months."

"Excellent. That is more than enough time," Itou replied. "With the money we've used to negotiate with the Chousu clan, we have a rebel army strong enough to overthrow the Bakufu. How are things on your end, Masa-san?"

"My men are ready. Give us the word and we'll surround the shogunate and remove this scoundrel Sakamoto from his seat of power," Masa replied.

"There is also one other thing I would like for you to do, Masa-san." Itou ordered smoothly. "When your business is finished with the shogunate, I want you to target the Shinsengumi headquarters."

There was an audible gasp.

"But, sir…the Mibu Wolves…they are strong. The men at my command are not on the same level." Masa refuted. "The Shinsengumi would surely cut our numbers in _half_. It's a suicide mission."

This elicited a humorous laugh from Itou.

"Yes, I know." He replied, the smile evident in his voice. "But a curious fellow once told me that their strength is in numbers. Eradicate that, and the Mibu Wolves become easy pickings."

"What are you suggesting, Itou-dono?" Tadao hedged.

"Any word from Yuu?" Itou asked instead.

"Yes, I received correspondence from him last night," Masa replied. "He writes that the assassination of Lord Kazuhiro Shin has been accomplished."

"Right, well then," Itou murmured, "The hour has finally come for me to explain myself."

Hajime tensed as the captain's voice drifted toward the shoji window. His sword was held at the ready, but there was no way for him to move without drawing the captain's attention. Thankfully the shade remained closed. But Itou's voice descended on him like the wings of a hawk, his words sinking into the swordsman's heart with razor-sharp talons, rattling his thoughts with a piercing shriek.

Hajime froze.

"Right this very minute, the Head Commander of the Shinsengumi races for Akahori Castle. I had Yuu send him a forged letter requesting his immediate presence with the deceased Lord Shin. Kondou believes that he is to be received by a cavalcade that will lead him through Satsuma territory, but Yuu and his faction will be waiting for him instead."

Itou took a breath.

"When the Head Commander arrives, Yuu is to kill Kondou on sight."

Adrenaline coursed through the swordsman, electrifying every nerve ending in his body as it was overcome with dread. Hajime suppressed his urge to leap to his feet and kill the traitorous military advisor where he stood, but he held his position.

Itou continued.

"Once the Head Commander of the Shinsengumi is dead, his subordinates will dissolve into a state of chaos. It will be days before they realize what has happened to their beloved Kondou Isami. The resulting confusion will provide the cover we need in order to carry out the second phase of our plan.

Masa, your Chousu rebels will rid us of Sakamoto and shatter the Shinsengumi headquarters, effectively overthrowing the Bakufu.

Tadao, you are to lead my personal convoy. Be sure to restrain Heisuke Todo and Hajime Saito in the compound's retention building until the fighting is complete. Depending on how they react to the conquest, we cannot trust them until they prove their allegiance to our cause.

As for Yuu, his forces will meet Kondou in the north, but his faction will move into the capital to provide backup. Stationed as we are, Kyoto will be surrounded on all sides. Our success is imminent.

The rise of the New Government will be written in the blood of our victory. _My_ victory."

"Do you understand, now?" Itou asked, the hunger still burning brightly in his silky voice. "The Shinsengumi will be scattered like sakura petals in the wind. We cannot lose."

Both lieutenants murmured their agreement.

"Good." The captain purred. "Then that leaves only one other point to discuss. Tatsuya-kun."

"Yes, Itou-dono."

"What did you discover in your little skirmish with the First Division the other day?"

"The Yukimura girl, the rumor about her…it's true." Tatsuya replied deviously.

Itou hummed with pleasure.

"Tatsuya, I want you to capture the girl. Bring her to me unscathed." He ordered much to Hajime's growing alarm. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, my captain."

"Well done my friends. We have sown the seeds of a truly remarkable rebellion. Now it is time to reap the riches of our crop. This meeting is adjourned."

The voices within the compound grew still as the samurai prepared for departure. Hajime lingered in his perch, not daring to reveal his presence until he was absolutely sure the group had disbanded. It gave him the time he needed to organize his racing thoughts as he committed the conversation to his memory.

Rebellion, assassination, imprisonment, abduction…the Pandora's Box of the Shinsengumi was about to have its lid ripped off and _no one_ was safe. Hajime didn't have a moment to lose. He would have to race back to headquarters and sound the alarm. If what Itou said was true, then Kondou was racing toward his death this very moment. The rest of Itou's plan was consequent to the Head Commander's assassination. If the swordsman could initiate a recovery mission, the Shinsengumi still had a fighting chance to overthrow Itou's rebellion.

But he had to leave _right now_.

Standing up from his perch, he was about to return his katana to its scabbard, but the sudden presence of another body threw him into immediate action. Swiping his sword with killing intent, he was surprised to find a familiar face staring at him from the tip of his sword. The intruder had his hands held out in surrender.

"Yamakazi," he breathed.

The Shinsengumi spy returned his look of urgency.

"We need to get back to base. _Now_."

* * *

**A/N:** Itou is one vicious, power-hungry, self-seeking villain, huh? The antagonists are assembling at last. Kazama has vowed to kill Hijikata, and Chizuru is beginning to think she can take on the Great Oni of the West. What will happen when Hajime and Yamazaki reach headquarters?

Be sure to stay tuned! Next chapter coming right up.

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Symphony 1: In the Barrel of a Gun" – Emily Wells

"Main Theme" – Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, and Tom Tykwer (Kazama/Shiranui scene)

"The Aftermath" – Cirque du Soleil (Chizuru/Senhime scene)

"Journey to the Cave" – Nicholas Hooper (Hajime's scene)

Thank you so much for reading and for those amazing reviews! You all are absolutely the best.

girliebird


	13. The Sixth Gate: Demon Form

**Chapter Thirteen: _The Sixth Gate: Demon Form_**

* * *

Souji Okita had a predilection for dangerous ideas whenever he was idle.

It was sort of his trademark. As the token diabolical trickster swordsman of the Shinsengumi, he alone possessed the power to wander beyond the gates of good and evil and into the shadow of moral chaos. He would never willingly digress from the Warrior's Way, mind you, he just…like to test the parameters for closure. It was this brazen, uncouth curiosity that made him exceptionally talented at playing the devil's advocate. To be the heretical voice, the one to commit to words what others dare not conjure within their own minds, was one of his most defining characteristics.

The Shinsengumi had benefited from his unusual talent on numerous occasions, but it had earned him an unsavory reputation for being a 'loose cannon'.

He didn't mind though. He felt it suited him quite well.

His reputation afforded him many unique liberties otherwise frowned upon in polite society.

For instance, it validated his grotesque sense of humor. Okita could crack a joke about dismemberment over breakfast without fear of retribution from his colleagues. (Oh, but he loved to test the boundaries of their social refinement anyway. It made for a great deal of fun in between the endless hours of plotting, planning and patrolling.) With jokes aside, another noteworthy perk was the mysterious persona that preceded him in any given situation. People were never quite sure when he was truly being serious, giving him the power of intrigue. But the best perk of all was the freedom to threaten Chizuru's life on an almost daily basis (out of affection, of course) without anyone questioning his true motives.

"Good night, Chizuru. Sleep well. I promise to kill you in the morning."

_I'll see you at breakfast._

"Careful, Chizuru. Put too much pepper in that and I will kill you."

_Ease up on that spice._

"What I'm about to tell you means I must kill you afterwards."

_Don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you._

In hindsight, there was no public setting in the whole of Kyoto where Okita could enjoy such liberties.

He supposed they sort of made up for the fact that his life was currently dangling by a thread.

Lounging across the futon with an arm tucked underneath his head, the captain trained his emerald gaze on the vial of Ochimizu as he tossed it languidly into the air above him. During his hours of bed rest, he had developed a game of tossing the vial. Every time it landed in his palm, he would weigh the pros and cons of becoming Rasetsu, his most dangerous idea yet.

But what did it really mean to be a Rasetsu?

Uncontrollable blood thirst, indiscriminating violence, reckless abandon…

Okita liked to think he was all those things and more, so what was the true moral loss in becoming Rasetsu?

Sannan ate of the forbidden fruit, and yet he managed to retain his post as Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi even after succumbing to the Rasetsu madness on one or two occasions. No one treated him any different than before. In fact, the lieutenant enjoyed the same power and prestige of his former self. He was just a little unhinged now, that's all. Aside from the nocturnal life and sudden craving for human blood, Okita couldn't perceive any true consequences of taking the drug.

The desire to preserve his ability as a swordsman was what drove Sannan to become Rasetsu in the first place. Wasn't Okita facing the same dilemma too?

Tuberculosis. Of all the horrible, debilitating and irreversible things that could kill the mischief-maker, it was the disease of the lungs that robbed him of his strength. _How anticlimactic_, he scorned. A powerful and accomplished warrior rises to the height of his prime only to lose his life from a set of bad lungs. Why couldn't it have been an injury like Sannan? Or a glorious fight on the battle field underneath the Shinsengumi banner that threatened him with impending death? For being such a diabolical trickster swordsman, dying from tuberculosis just seemed so…tame.

Of one thing he was absolutely sure. He needed to die before his tuberculosis laid claim to his death.

But how? When?

Did he meet his death on the battlefield or did he drink the Ochimizu resting in the palm of his hand? Either route bore disadvantages - namely his untimely demise - but which option upheld the Warrior's Way better than the other? Which one could provide a more glorious and fulfilling death that would allow Okita to depart this world with no regrets?

The answer was obvious, and yet…he hesitated.

_It was Chizuru who told me about your illness, you know. This medicine can help reverse it. _

_Koudou-san gave it to me. _

The late night visit from Kaoru Nagumo troubled Okita. If what the boy said was true, that he and Koudou were working together, then something dangerous was afoot. For the past several months, the Shinsengumi had assumed that Koudou was missing, maybe even imprisoned, but collaborating with the Nagumo kid? This supposed twin brother of Chizuru's? It didn't make any sense.

What if the Ochimizu in his possession was a trap?

Okita had nearly mentioned it to Kondou before he left headquarters, but thought better of it. If anyone was to hear about this, it had to be Chizuru first.

Slipping the glass vial into the sash of his kimono, Okita stood from his pallet and straightened the familiar black silk of Kondou's favorite overcoat. The woodsy scent reminded him of those long summer days in their old training dojo, and he couldn't help but marvel at how much things had changed since then.

It was a lifetime ago that Kondou played the part of the manager and Okita the student. Now, in this very moment, Kondou Isami bore the weight of the entire Shinsengumi regime on his shoulders as he raced to meet Lord Shin of Akahori Caste. Meanwhile, Okita was calmly contemplating the idea of turning himself into a Rasetsu.

_My, how things have changed_, he thought.

The realization drew an odd smile on his face, but it was a fleeting. Frustration still smoldered like the coals of a hot fire in the swordsman's chest, and he remembered why becoming a Rasetsu had seemed so logical in the first place. He needed to protect Kondou.

On the morning of his departure, the Head Commander had slipped into his apartment to check on him. The captain had been overcome with exhaustion, having suffered a fitful night's rest thanks to the Nagumo kid, but the sight of Kondou had simultaneously comforted and agitated Okita.

_I should be going with you, Kondou-san. _He had said irritably. _I'm no good to you here._

_That's ridiculous, _the Head Commander chuckled. _I need you here to rest and regain your strength. I won't make life easy for you when I return with our new recruits. So you better prepare yourself, Souji. _

Kondou's words echoed heavy in his mind, eliciting a disgruntled sigh.

_There is much to be prepared_, he thought as he drew the shoji screen of his room open.

To his surprise, the clouds were beginning to break apart in the late afternoon hour. Most of the storm had moved to the south where it would empty out into the coast. He noticed that the compound was still fraught with activity, but none of the officers were on sight. Even so, he knew that if anyone caught him out of bed, he would never hear the end of it from Hijikata. He couldn't let that deter him. Choosing a path through the side garden with the hidden alley, Okita headed for the south central barracks.

He needed to speak with Chizuru.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

It turned out that the south central barracks was the furthest secluded building within the complex.

Winding his way through the palisades of a gallery overlooking the training fields, Okita could understand why Hijikata had placed the demoness and her kunoichi so far away from the main buildings. The oni-fukuchou's cooperation in housing the pair was a ruse. His real desire had been to keep them as far away from Shinsengumi matters as possible, thus keeping them out of his way.

It was a pity. Okita had grown rather fond of the two women. They both had a sharp jocularity that added a bit of excitement to the soldier's daily dining schedule. Senhime was impressive. Unfazed by his macabre statements, she had a way of throwing his words back into his face with that easy smile of hers. What was even better was the fact that they both competed to thwart Hijikata's peace whenever possible. It was refreshing to have an opponent for once to participate in his twisted games.

The kunoichi; on the other hand, Kimigiku, she was a tough one. Okita had attempted to figure her out, but she was as opaque as a velvet night sky. Her eyes were alive with cunning intelligence, quite aware of her surroundings, but she only ever spoke when it was absolutely necessary. If Okita had the power of intrigue, Kimigiku had the power of calculation.

Strolling toward the lodge, Okita mused over what the two women had in store for Chizuru this very moment. Kondou had mentioned the girl having time to focus on her training, but that still left the question – training for what? What was required of Chizuru to master the Demon Arts? Okita had witnessed the sheer power of her akuma no chikara the day they were ambushed by rebel ronin. He remembered the vivid color of the cobalt crystal, the vibration of power in the air, the changing pressure of the wind…it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

She had mentioned that it was the Third Gate of the Demon Arts.

What else could Chizuru possibly be learning?

Ascending the flight of steps leading to the main entrance, he announced his presence, but there was no reply.

Curious, he abandoned the shoji screens and made his way around the corner to the back of the building. _Perhaps they are taking advantage of the clear weather_, he thought. The last time he had raced to the lodge, they had all been perched on the edge of the veranda eating rice balls. The scene he chanced upon today was drastically different.

There was no mistaking it. The court pavilion, the silk streamers, the arena…the swordsman recognized the setting immediately.

It was a tournament.

But not just any tournament, he realized. No, this wasn't a typical dojo duel between two sparring classmates, nor was it a military duel between two samurai. This was the crown duel, the golden duel, the _jewel_ of all sword fights. This tournament was reserved for the highest members of nobility, emperor against emperor, lord against lord, prince against prince.

In a tournament of this magnitude, whole dynasties were shattered and reborn anew.

Kimigiku stood tall and proud in her warrior silks with an impressive horse hair kabuto spilling down her back like the spikes of a white hedgehog. Draped over her body were the open folds of a ceremonial kimono that complimented the crimson silk fans she held aloft in each hand. Her cheeks had been touched with red paint too, reminding Okita of a traditional war chief.

Her voice rang out clear across the yard.

"To my left, I present Lady Senhime, Tournament Champion and Heir of the Gozen Clan," the kunoichi bellowed in her smooth, feminine voice. She made the official wave with her left fan, giving the demoness permission to step out into the arena.

Senhime took a few confident strides with her hand resting casually on the hilt of her sword. She was dressed in a beautiful scaled tunic that slithered down her body and synched at the waist with a green sash. Her legs and arms were also covered in elaborate armor, but Okita's interest fell on the katana strapped to her waist. It trailed behind her like a cat's tail, long and heavy.

_Can she even wield that thing?_ He mused with a furrowed brow, the smile still resting on his lips.

The kunoichi spoke once more.

"To my right, I present Lady Chizuru, Tournament Champion and Heir of the Yukimura Clan," Kimigiku announced, signaling for Chizuru to take her place at the opposite end.

Okita followed the trajectory of the kunoichi's silk fan with his inquisitive emerald gaze.

His fox grin vanished.

Dropping his hands to his sides, Okita observed an unfamiliar young woman stroll forward.

She was covered in polished armor that gleamed from the scarlet silk of her haori. Her legs were covered in black hakama, folded tight around her thighs to accommodate the tall leg guards. They accentuated the slenderness of her build, making her appear sleek and agile as she walked. Okita had to pause and contemplate her face though. He almost didn't recognize her. With her bangs pulled out of her eyes and into an elegant top knot with red tassels, he could now see the arch of her brows, the sharp cheekbones, and the confident angle of her jaw.

The young woman standing before him was none other than Chizuru Yukimura.

He was speechless.

Both women approached the center line.

"Chizuru, there is to be no holding back this time," Senhime instructed, "I want you to show me everything you have learned. This is to be a real fight, understood?"

"Hai, sensei," replied Chizuru earnestly.

"Good," the demoness grinned at her student, "I won't be holding back either."

The pair bowed to each other courteously, as tournament tradition would mandate.

They returned to their respective ends of the arena, but remained facing away from each other to await the signal. A gust of wind ripped at their hair and garments, giving a theatrical flair to the dramatic ambiance.

Kimigiku resumed the official introduction.

"The rules of the tournament have been agreed upon. Each champion will perform a set of tasks given by the conciliator, and if performed successfully, they will be awarded a point for merit. The champion with the most points wins the duel. Whoever should concede the fight, forfeits the match." Kimigiku explained formally.

Raising the silk fans high into the air, she announced, "The tournament has started. May your ancestors watch over you and bless you with a worthy fight. Champions at the ready. Set. _BEGIN_!"

Kimigiku gave a flourish of her silk fans before extricating herself from the arena.

Nestling onto a cushion just outside the grid, the kunoichi abandoned her silk fans for drum sticks and began to pound rhythmically onto an animal skin drum now resting on her lap. It appeared to Okita that there were a few minor altercations with this duel. Kimigiku had to double as both conciliator and drum marquee. Even so, she produced a beating pulse that was customarily supposed to stir the hearts of the champions as they engaged in battle.

The women turned around, staring at each other like two rivals on the battlefield. Gone was the girlish warmth, the friendly camaraderie, the respectful master and pupil rapport. In its place was nothing but mounting suspense.

Senhime made a dramatic show of drawing her katana from its sheath, letting the crescent steel give a sinister metal ring. To Okita's surprise, the katana was aglow in blue light that radiated like a flickering flame.

In response to her mentor's challenge, Chizuru smiled, and it was a _hungry_ smile. Freeing her wakazashi in one swift motion, she held it in perfect open stance. With both hands on the hilt, and the blade slanting toward the opponent, it too began to flicker with the uncanny blue light.

"Round One: Footwork."

Senhime was the first to engage in the fight. Dropping into a sprint, the demoness issued a fierce battle cry as she swung her katana wide, catching Chizuru's wakazashi at the guard. The demoness threw all her weight into her sword, determined to knock Chizuru back, but Chizuru absorbed the pressure like a sponge only to release it in a new direction. Angling her wakazashi, Senhime's katana slipped along the matte finish before losing its grip entirely. Senhime was thrown forward, but instead of tripping over her feet, she rolled into a tight somersault and launched for another attack.

Chizuru didn't flinch. Side-stepping just in time to dodge Senhime's downward stroke, Chizuru performed the necessary upward thrust to reverse the pressure. The momentary standstill caused the two to be locked eye-to-eye as they vied for dominance.

"Not bad," Senhime whistled. Her eyes filled with a roguish fire.

The two disengaged weapons, but this time it was Chizuru who charged back into the fray. She slashed and she swiped and she swooped her blade with an agile grace Okita never knew the girl was capable of possessing. The artistry of her strokes was synchronized by the perfect twist and bend of her small body. Chizuru conformed to the dance, letting her body ripple so that every combat riposte was more elegant than before. A symphony of hot metal filled the afternoon air, and as the sun made its brief debut from the gray clouds, Okita watched their sword fight glimmer and sparkle under the sun.

"One Point to Gozen. Excellent performance of the Jodan-gamae posture."

"Thank you, Kimi-chan!"

"One Point to Yukimura for the creative use of the side-step and upward thrust combo."

"Thanks, Kimigiku-san!"

Senhime had managed to turn Chizuru around and was relentless as she forced the girl backwards. Delivering short, choppy advances, Chizuru had no choice but to back up to evade the katana'steeth. Okita could see that Senhime was steering them toward the collection of landscaping stones at the left end of the arena, but he had not suspected Chizuru to throw her body against the nearest rock and rebound from it with enough force to crumple Senhime to the ground.

The maneuver displayed incredible skill for such a novice. Okita wondered if the blue sheen of her sword had anything to do with it. The girl brandished it as if she had been her whole life, but Okita had been there when Hajime had tested her ability with the sword. The Third Division Captain had commended her aptitude with the wakazashi, but Chizuru had been a completely different person then. Brave, but a novice at best.

So how on earth had she gained such expertise in such a short frame of time?

Okita was burning with curiosity.

Kimigiku beat her drum sticks together three times.

"First Round to Yukimura," she declared. "Round Two: Groundwork."

The tempo of the drum changed in beat.

They were off again. Senhime lurched to her feet and they were sprinting diagonally from the rocks and into the bamboo thicket lining the arena. Chizuru made a sweeping horizontal cut, but the demoness jumped into the air to avoid the swipe and melted into the bamboo. Chizuru changed the position of her wakazashi. Keeping it close to her body, she weaved in between the stalks, but as Senhime advanced on her once more, the girl used a bamboo shoot as leverage to spin around and miss the katana. The stalk burst into pieces. Senhime anticipated this; however, and dislodged her sword in time to catch Chizuru at the chest. Its lethal blow was nullified by her metal chest plate, but the impact caused her to stagger all the same. Losing her balance, Chizuru fell onto her back. Senhime sprang. Bracing her wakazashi between her two hands, Chizuru was grateful it was enough to block the plunging strike aimed for the place between her eyes.

"Point to Gozen. Brilliant hawk maneuver."

"Did you hear that, Chizuru-chan? I'm a hawk."

"Yes you are," Chizuru panted cheekily. "Because hawks spread their wings and _fly_."

Using her feet, Chizuru delivered a kick to Senhime's torso effectively launching her into the air.

"That's a fowl, Yukimura." Kimigiku joked. "Maneuver is out of bounds. Second Round to Gozen."

Okita couldn't help but laugh. This fight was too absurd. Chizuru was getting sassier by the minute, and it was _so_ unlike her. Where had this vibrant young woman been this entire time? Hidden behind that soldier's façade? He had no idea.

Perhaps this is how she really was when no one was around: a spitfire.

Senhime had landed gracefully on her feet, but she swished her blade menacingly.

"Oh, now you've asked for it." She grinned.

Kimigiku struck her instrument.

"Third Round: Akuma Shirudō."

The demoness approached Chizuru leisurely. She held a hand out with three perfectly formed crystal spheres hovering above her palm, and Okita recognized the material instantly. It was some kind of demonic shield mechanism. Senhime took these and threw them at Chizuru like a bunch of snowballs.

Upon impact, the crystalized demonic power exploded.

Chizuru dodged the unstable surge of chikara, but quickly had to twist out of the way from another explosion as it landed near her other side. Senhime kept tossing several more at the girl, but Chizuru procured a force shield around her body strong enough to protect herself against the eruptions. As Senhime sauntered closer and closer, the explosions increased in magnitude. Okita began to worry about Chizuru in her crystal prison. Would she be able to fight back, or would she succumb to Senhime's onslaught?

He didn't have to wait long for his answer. The barrier flared with cobalt flames sending a shockwave strong enough to force Senhime backwards. Released from her barrier, Chizuru compelled the fragmented pieces to surround her mentor instead, trapping Senhime within.

"Third Round to Yukimura," Kimigiku announced. The tempo of the drum changed once more.

"Fourth Round: Akuma Shinkirō."

Okita felt the air shift in pressure to accommodate the sudden surge of power, as Senhime produced a dark cloud of smoke. It curled and slinked around her body. Three specific plumes began to contort and formulate until they became three festival dragons with glittering white teeth. They were colorful and animated just like the ones that danced along the street, but their eyes glowed blue as they focused on a gaping Chizuru.

"Have you ever fought dragons before, Chizuru-chan?" Senhime asked.

The girl's eyes widened.

"Well here's your chance. _Attack_!" The demoness screamed.

The dragon heads lurched forward with open mouths. Chizuru made a helpless squeak.

The cadence of the drums picked up as Kimigiku struck the chords of climax. The tournament was coming to a close. Chizuru had to overcome the dragons or risk losing the match.

_Come on, Chizuru._ Okita urged silently. _Make me proud._

The girl turned on her heals in a desperate attempt to put distance between herself and the festival serpents, but they were gaining on her fast as they withdrew from the black smoke. The nastiest of the three, the one with the black and red markings and silver whiskers, reeled backwards like a cobra. It let out a devilish hiss before striking at Chizuru.

She was swallowed whole.

Several things happened simultaneously:

Okita shouted in alarm.

The black-and-red dragon smiled a toothy grin.

The other two serpents hissed in disappointment.

And Senhime released a villainous laugh.

"Is that all you got, Yukimura?" She taunted with wild eyebrows and flaring nostrils.

She had spoken too soon. Just as the dragons began to reflect on what had just occurred, Okita noticed the black-and-red one convulse unnaturally. White smoke began to filter from its jowls along with yellow sparks and a high pitched squeal.

The dragon exploded into a mass of pyrotechnics. Sparklers, firecrackers, pinwheels – they all burst through the air in brilliant shades of orange, red, green and blue. There was a resounding _boom_ and Okita jumped. All of headquarters would hear the commotion now. The sparks assailed the festival dragons like a hive of angry bees, ripping at their fabric bodies. The serpents lashed out in a desperate attempt to escape the onslaught, but there was nowhere for them to escape to but the cloud of dark smoke.

A perfectly safe and healthy Chizuru materialized behind her unsuspecting mentor. With the dragons distracted, the girl engaged the demoness in the final assault.

The end of the duel was at hand now.

Kimigiku raised the tempo of the drum to a dying man's heartbeat, and the two demons interlocked in their deadliest match yet. Senhime held no reservations in attacking Chizuru with her demonic katana. Again and again, she thrust forward and again and again, Chizuru parried her advances. They sank into the mess of fireworks, dragons, and smoke all the while moving with inhuman speed. Okita had a difficult time deciphering which attacks were whose, but he could still see the cerebral glow of their swords.

There was a piercing shriek.

Something dislodged high into the air and plummeted to the ground with a hollow _swoosh_. Sinking deep into the earth, point first, was a single sword.

"STOP!" Kimigiku shouted. She struck the drum, indicating the tournament's end.

Silence filled the clearing.

The illusion of the fireworks and festival dragons dissolved immediately, but it took a moment for the smoke to evaporate. Straining to see what had become of the match; Okita abandoned his perch near the wall and leaned out over the railing. His heart was beating with suspense.

The smoke settled.

There on the ground, sprawled on her backside, laid Senhime. She was propped up by the elbows, but she dare not move. Actually, she _couldn't_ move, because the tip of Chizuru's wakazashi hovered just inches from the hollow of her throat. But the woman at the other end of the wakazashi was not Chizuru.

This woman had snowy white tresses, porcelain skin and flashing golden eyes.

"Chizuru, you've done it," Senhime exhaled with watery eyes. "You've passed the Sixth Gate. You slipped into akuma no sukin, your true demon form."

Chizuru withdrew.

"My demon form?" She asked hesitantly.

Senhime nodded. "Look upon the steel of your sword and see for yourself."

Chizuru took a step back and peered at her reflection in the silver of her wakazashi. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked upon her demon form for the first time.

It took her a moment to find her voice.

"We really _do_ have horns, don't we?" She asked in bewilderment, touching the protrusions on her forehead. "I don't even recognize myself."

Senhime returned to her feet, with hands proudly placed on her hips.

"We cloth ourselves in human form out of necessity, but when we slip into our true forms, we are at our most power state of being," Senhime explained. To Kimigiku, she added, "I concede the match."

"Yukimura is victor. Congratulations, Chizuru-chan." Kimigiku responded.

"Thank you, Kimigiku-san," Chizuru replied with eyes still trained on her makeshift mirror.

From his place on the veranda, Okita called out, "what a fierce demon you are, Chizuru-chan!"

He watched in satisfaction as all three women snapped their gazes to him.

The kunoichi looked to her charge, but Senhime raised a hand.

"It's alright, Kimi-chan," she murmured.

"Okita-san, did you see me fight?" Chizuru called out excitedly. Her golden eyes were bight and expectant like a student awaiting approval from the instructor.

"You fought very well, oni-sama." He said with a curling grin. "If I had my katana with me, I would fight you this instant."

Chizuru did something very strange. Instead of responding to his challenge, she suddenly dropped her gaze to the sword in her hand and murmured, "Hey, be nice. He's only teasing."

The captain tilted his head perplexed.

Was she talking to her wakazashi?

"Kimi-chan, will you take over for me?" Senhime asked.

The kunoichi nodded. "Hai, milady."

Shedding her kabuto and kimono, Kimigiku picked up her katana by the cushion and joined Chizuru on the grid.

"Go easy on me, Chizuru-chan," she murmured with a smile. The girl was forced to regain her battle stance and launch into another fight, but she seemed eager to test the power of her true demon form.

With the two distracted, Senhime retrieved her sword and joined him on the veranda.

"You seem much better since we last saw you. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Anxious. All I've been doing is lying around. Watching the two of you duel makes me want to have my own tournament." He replied with gleeful pretense.

A pang of jealousy ran through him, and he was startled by it. The sight of Chizuru in her true form was awe-inspiring, but it also pressed the issue of his own deteriorating state of wellbeing. As she was growing stronger, and he was growing weaker. Something about that turned him green with envy.

Maybe he would just drink the Ochimizu drug after all.

"Yes, well, Chizuru had been working very hard these past few days. I wanted her to have a taste of a traditional duel. It's demon custom to spar with your master at the close of your training," she explained with her carmine gaze trailing to her student. Okita could sense conflict behind her eyes.

"She has finished her training? Already?" He asked.

"No. If I had my way, she would dedicate months instead of mere days to train in the Demon Arts, but we no longer have that luxury," she huffed angrily. "Kimigiku and I have been summoned back to the Gozen estate. We could be leaving any minute."

"So soon," he murmured, "does she know?"

"Yes, she is aware." Senhime smiled, but it was a cold smile. "She is quite aware of what she is capable of now. The road ahead is going to be dangerous, but it is not my place to hold her hand. She's strong and she has the Shinsengumi. She will be alright in my absence."

"Senhime-san, it sounds like you are trying to reassure yourself."

"Perhaps I am." She replied with soul-searching eyes. "But tell me, Okita-san…Hijikata…does he feel strongly about Chizuru?"

The question was random enough to make him blink, but as he began to understand the oni's concern, his expression softened into something sincere.

"What do you think?" He asked with a raised brow.

"I think he is a rather inept man. Cold, ruthless, belligerent – a far cry from Chizuru's ideal choice in suitor," she answered flatly, "but she cares a great deal for him, and I respect her feelings. She needs someone capable to watch over her. She can be quite reckless, you know."

Okita folded his arms across his chest and took a moment to watch the kunoichi and demon-in-training flit across the clearing with their swords. When he replied, his voice was candid.

"Hijikata is the most viable man for the task. You can trust him."

Senhime searched his face for any deception, but appeared disappointed by his frankness.

"Hmm…we shall see." She begrudged reluctantly.

The two stood in companionable silence as they both dwelled on the approaching future fraught with peril.

"Will I ever see you again," he asked suddenly, "or will you disappear forever?"

Senhime peered at him curiously. But after a moment, a warm smile spread across her face.

"Our paths have met for a reason, captain. Someday, you and I will cross swords. I promise."

This drew a smirk from Okita.

"I am going to hold you to it."

There was the sudden sound of a gong that ripped through headquarters, ricocheting off the walls and through the courtyards. The First Division Captain grew deathly still as the percussion traveled through his body, shaking his bones. The instrument was only used for three purposes. Struck once, it signaled war. Struck twice, it signaled ambush. Struck thrice, it signaled assassination.

Okita's blood ran thick as ice as the gong sounded not once, not twice, but _three times_.

The compound fell silent.

"No…" He breathed in horror.

"Okita-san, what was that?" Chizuru asked from her place in the clearing. The kunoichi and demoness peered at him inquisitively too.

Okita dropped a curse.

"We need to find Hijikata," He ordered feverishly, "Kondou-san's in trouble!"

* * *

**A/N:** Wow this chapter took way longer to write than I originally anticipated. (Probably because it was all in Okita's point of view.) The First Division Captain is calmly planning his death and Chizuru is drawing toward the end of her training. I really hope you enjoyed the tournament scene every bit as much as I enjoyed writing it. I wanted something dramatic and exciting to take place in order for Chizuru to make her body transformation, and I conceptualized the duel between her and Senhime like a colorful, cinematic montage. (With lots of banter and cheeky wit.)

Hijikata will make his reappearance in the next chapter, I promise. In fact, the plot is about to branch off with the oni-fukuchou and Chizuru, so everybody get prepared. Get some chocolate and a glass of wine. The blooming romance is about to happen, y'all.

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Isolated System" – Muse (Okita scene)

"Dragon Racing" – John Powell (Tournament scene)

Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to write those reviews, you guys.

Another chapter is on its way!

girliebird


	14. The War Council

**Chapter Fourteen: _The War Council_**

* * *

Chizuru, Okita, Senhime and Kimigiku raced across headquarters without a moment to lose. They made a most unlikely group – Chizuru in her demon glamour, Okita in his black silk, Senhime in her metal scales, and Kimigiku in her red war paint. In any other situation, they could have passed as the season's latest kabuki theater troupe, but now in this moment, they raked through the training fields like a band of legendary samurai.

Soldiers were already congregating outside the courtyard of the officer barracks, but the Shinsengumi elite were only just now assembling for a war council. Okita led his party through one of his various shortcuts that brought them directly to the conference room.

Clearing the short flight of steps, they paused outside the main entrance.

"Senhime-san," Okita nudged, "You should probably do something about Chizuru."

The demoness raised her hands to her cheeks. Overcome by the urgency of the situation, she had completely forgotten Chizuru's unusual fair state.

"Come here, Chizuru-chan. We can't have you enter the room as you are," she beckoned hastily. Placing and index finger on her student's forehead, there was a flare of chikara before Chizuru's human form flickered back in place.

"That's better," she said.

Okita drew aside the shoji screen and ushered them inside.

Sanosuke and Shinpachi were in attendance, though they appeared as if they had raced back to headquarters from their posts clear across the city. Shinpachi sat with an arm braced against a bent knee while his other leg laid out flat on the floor. Sanosuke sat cross-legged with his spear clutched in his hands like it was his last fetter to reality. Both were panting furiously.

A little ways behind them sat Inoue dabbing the sweat from his brow with a silk sleeve. That left Hijikata and Sannan sitting in their respective cushions looking stricken and rigid, but upon further inspection, the stragglers realized there were two other occupants in the room as well.

A pair of soldiers the Shinsengumi hadn't seen in quite a while: Yamazaki Susumu and Hajime Saito.

They both reclined on opposite sides of the lieutenants with their own expressions of severity.

"Souji, you shouldn't be out of bed," Hijikata instantly reprimanded the First Division Captain.

Okita ignored the sentiment and took a seat in front of the oni-fukuchou.

"We heard the gong. What is the emergency, Hijikata-san?" He asked, masking his fatigue.

Chizuru, Senhime and Kimigiku sat beside him, and it took the Demon Vice Commander a moment to comprehend their eclectic state of attire. Taking a particular interest in Chizuru's harried appearance, his lavender gaze tapered with confusion.

"Hijikata-san?" Okita pressed.

The oni-fukuchou stirred.

"Yamazaki and Hajime have returned to the Shinsengumi with distressing news," He announced. "Itou Kashitarou means to assassinate Kondou and launch a rebel assault on the Bakufu."

There was a collective gasp in the room.

"It turns out that Itou is the benefactor hiring the sell swords," Yamazaki revealed. "He has been raising an army to attack Kyoto. Their position in the city has been an effort to gather intelligence on the Shinsengumi and the shogunate."

"He plans to split the army into three main factions that will converge on the city immediately proceeding Kondou's assassination. We discovered that Lord Shin of Akahori Castle was killed by one of Itou's lieutenants. The convoy scheduled to meet the Head Commander is a trap," Hajime added gravely.

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

"Hajime-kun, does this mean you've been spying for the Shinsengumi this entire time?" Shinpachi finally asked, shattering the silence in the room.

"He joined the Mausoleum's Guard under my orders," Hijikata explained. "We had a feeling Itou was plotting something, but never something of this scale."

"What do you intend to do, Hijikata-san? Sannan-san?" Sanosuke pushed.

The two lieutenants shared a discerning look before issuing orders.

"We have no choice but to split the Shinsengumi into three factions," Sannan began.

"Sanosuke, Shinpachi, you are to accompany Saito to Itou's headquarters," Hijikata ordered sternly, "You will comprise the Offense Division. Your mission is to infiltrate the Mausoleum's Guard and rescue Heisuke Todo."

"Rescue Heisuke?" Shinpachi repeated with a frown. "You mean he isn't siding with Itou in all of this?"

"Itou made the order to have us both imprisoned. He knows he can't trust us," Hajime replied. "I have made a personal promise not to abandon Heisuke. We will rescue him and bring him back under the Shinsengumi's protection."

There was a triumphant chuckled from the spearman.

"Well it's about _damn_ _time_," Sanosuke grinned. "Our group has lost some of its color during his absence. Count me in, Hajime-kun."

The master swordsman inclined his head gratefully.

Shinpachi shared the redhead's excitement.

"An infiltration mission, eh? We haven't had a chance to do this in a long time, Harada. Count me in as well."

They both perked up considerably with the knowledge of reclaiming a lost comrade. The hours of patrol quickly melted from their bodies as they straightened with anticipation.

"Once you have freed Heisuke, you are to form a line of offense," Sannan continued. "Eliminate Itou's forces if you can, but you are to await backup. Understood?"

Hajime, Sanosuke and Shinpachi nodded.

"Yamazaki, Inoue, and Chizuru, you will accompany me in the retrieval of Kondou," Hijikata ordered next. "We will make up the Recovery Division. Our mission is to save Kondou and overthrow the assassination plot."

This surprised Chizuru. Hijikata wanted _her_ to accompany his Recovery Division?

She met his gaze and he clearly saw the question burning in her copper eyes.

"Itou is aware of your demon lineage," he explained softly. "The rebel force that attacked you and Souji in the industrial sector was instructed to target you and verify your status as an oni. Apparently, someone has told Itou about you."

This drew a troubling look from Chizuru.

"Are you sure bringing her to a hotbed of assassins is a good idea, Hijikata-san?" Shinpachi questioned, drawing the lieutenant's attention away from the girl.

"Itou will expect her to be at headquarters. Any forces targeting Yukimura-kun will be directed here. They will not suspect it if she travels north," Hajime murmured.

Evidently someone must have taken the time to fill in Hajime on Chizuru's most recent escapades, or the swordsman had an impeccable talent for going along with things. Hajime showed neither confusion nor contempt toward Chizuru, only quiet concern.

"Are you alright with this, Chizuru?" Hijikata asked her.

Senhime and Kimigiku peered at her warily, but she inclined her head, careful to guise her distress.

"Yes, Commander."

"Hijikata-san, you failed to include me in your division," commented Okita in his smooth voice. It cut through the room with as much zeal as a genteel blade, making everyone tense. "I'm coming with you."

"No Souji, you are to remain here with Sannan-san as part of the Defense Division."

"No, I am going with you. Kondou-san needs me."

"It is not possible for you to travel in your current condition," Hijikata argued, "You would only slow us down and risk Kondou's life."

Hijikata's words stabbed him in the heart.

Chizuru and Senhime grew nervous as they caught the familiar metallic fragrance of hatred fill the room. It rolled off the trickster swordsman's shoulders like acid fumes, causing them both to wince uncomfortably. Chizuru's eyes began to sting and she tried not to breathe through her nose.

"You and Sannan-san will remain here at headquarters with the Rasetsu unit. Itou intends to rid the shogunate of Sakamoto before attacking the Shinsengumi next. We cannot let that happen." Hijikata finalized.

"It is for the best, Okita-kun," Sannan attempted to pacify, but the swordsman only continued to glare at the oni-fukuchou.

"Kondou's party is only two days ahead of us, if we leave now; the chances of overthrowing his assassination are strong. The Offense and Defense Divisions are to stall the rebellion until further instructed. Once Kondou is brought back to base, we will assemble for a second assault. Understood?"

The room erupted with affirmations, only Okita kept his mouth shut.

"Good. Recovery Division, we leave within the hour," he announced, getting to his feet.

The war council had ended just as quickly as it had begun. Sanosuke and Shinpachi started making preparations with Hajime, while Sannan took to reviewing a set of blue prints outlining the Shinsengumi compound. Yamazaki stopped to speak with Okita, distracting the seething captain long enough for Hijikata to safely approach Senhime and Kimigiku.

"Things are about to become hazardous. It would be foolish to remain here," he addressed the demoness.

Senhime's eyes slivered, but she let his passive insult slide.

"I am well aware, oni-fukuchou. Kimigiku and I will be returning to my family estate," she answered.

Hijikata simply nodded.

It wasn't the most elegant and memorable of farewells between two such adversaries, but Chizuru knew the Demon Vice Commander enough to see that his mind was distracted with thoughts of Kondou. His face was set in his customary stoicism, but she could see the clenching and unclenching of his jaw as a sign of anxiety. Hijikata was worried.

Peering at Chizuru, he murmured, "Meet me by the entrance gate."

With no further formality, he exited the conference room.

Senhime placed a gentle hand on Chizuru's shoulder.

"Take one last walk with me," she implored her with a grave expression. "There is something I need to give you before you leave. It's a gift."

Chizuru paused, unsettled by the oni's bleak expression.

"A gift?"

. . . . . . . . . . . .

When the three women made their way back to the south central barracks, they were upset to find a legion of forty shinobi warriors standing in the remnants of their tournament arena. They were like a flock of crows amidst the silk banners fluttering in the wind. The shinobi soldiers banded together in perfect formation with hands clasped behind their backs in military obeisance.

The effect was intimidating.

Chizuru soaked in their sharp, black uniforms, the twin blades at their waists, but grew increasingly uneasy as they watched her approach with expressions of collective indifference.

Her skin prickled.

Where had they come from? And how did they manage to slip into the compound unnoticed?

"Milady, I will speak with them," Kimigiku murmured under her breath without taking her eyes off the shinobi. "It should buy you a little more time."

"Thank you, Kimi-chan," the demoness replied gratefully. Grabbing Chizuru's hand, she steered them straight for the entrance to the lodge.

"Will she be okay?" Chizuru asked with concern. She watched as one of the soldiers stepped forward and addressed the approaching kunoichi.

"Kimigiku, you have gone against orders," she heard a woman chastise in a cold, disapproving voice. "Explain your insubordination."

"You've come just in time," Kimigiku bellowed in a grand show of relief. "I was beginning to think you would never show up…"

The kunoichi delved into her charade, providing Senhime a distraction just as she promised.

"She'll be fine." Senhime assured her as they shut the shoji screen close behind them.

Chizuru hovered by the door as she watched the demoness march across the room to the kotatsu table. Picking up the mysterious lacquer box, she returned to Chizuru's side.

"What are the Three Deadly Virtues?" Senhime quizzed abruptly.

It took a moment for Chizuru to realize she was being tested.

"Hex Gaze, Akuma Shirudō, and Akuma Shinkirō," she replied.

"Which cannot be used on demons?"

"Hex Gaze."

"What happens when you severe your power to perform Akuma Shirudō?"

"I remain defenseless."

"What happens if you should lose your focus?"

"The chikara becomes unstable and explodes."

"When is it appropriate to use these powers?"

"Only in self-defense, never to subjugate or control."

"How many blood seals can a demon perform?"

"Only two."

"When you fight with your demon sword…?"

"I fight with the power of my ancestor."

"When you achieve Akuma no Sukin…?"

"I am in my most powerful state of being."

Senhime closed her eyes with a deep sigh.

"As of this moment, Chizuru Yukimura, I conclude your training. You have cleared all Seven Gates of the Demon Arts and unlocked your true power." She recited formally. "My role as your mentor has officially ended."

Presenting her with the lacquer box, Chizuru took it tentatively.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Kondou-san requested that I give you this when I felt you had accomplished your training. He told me it was to be a token of your bravery and dedication to the Shinsengumi. He wanted you to have this," she replied.

The symbolism of the gift weighed upon Chizuru as her thoughts flew to the endangered Head Commander. Lifting the lid to the box, her eyes widened in disbelief.

When she lifted her questioning gaze to Senhime, the demoness nodded in affirmation.

"It is yours."

Carefully, Chizuru lifted the powder blue silk of an authentic Shinsengumi haori. The fabric was crisp and new with unblemished white triangles. Holding it up to let the folds unfurl, she discovered that its sleeves where tailored perfectly to fit her small proportions. Along with it came a metal forehead protector sewn unto a band of white silk. It was exactly like what the Shinsengumi officers wore, but on the inside of the collar, stitched in red embroidery thread, was the kanji for _Yukimura_.

Chizuru held the garment close to her heart. It was the highest honor she had ever been given.

"You have earned it, Chizuru," Senhime said, voice full of emotion. "I can't tell you how proud I am over your accomplishments. As Okita already said, you make a fierce demon."

Moved by her words, Chizuru took a step closer to the demoness.

"Senhime, I couldn't have asked for a better mentor," she sniffed, "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything."

The demon princess responded with a tearful smile. Cupping Chizuru's face with both hands, she murmured, "In all our time together I have come to think of you as a sister. I want you to know that no matter where your path leads you, I will _always_ support you."

She kissed her student one both cheeks.

"Is this really goodbye, Osen-chan?" Chizuru asked dismally.

"For now," Senhime assured her. "Kimigiku's clansmen want me safe behind their walls. I wish I could take you with me, but you will be safe with your oni-fukuchou. He cares for you deeply, you know."

"H-Hijikata-san?" Chizuru stammered with reddening cheeks.

The idea made her instantly demure.

Senhime flashed a sly smile.

"I may harbor grievances with Toshizo Hijikata, but you know? I can't bring myself to hate the man." She admitted with a playful wink. "Keep him close to you, Chizuru. Love is an amazing power in itself. It will help protect you."

"H-Hai…"

"Milady, it is time for us to leave," announced Kimigiku from the entrance. She had five shinobi officers standing behind her with unrelenting expressions of urgency.

"Well then," Senhime sighed, "It looks like our time is up, Chizuru-chan."

They embraced one final time before Senhime, Kimigiku, the shinobi, and all of Senhime's possessions puffed into a cloud of sakura blossoms, leaving the lodge as empty as the day they had arrived.

Chizuru took a deep breath.

Slipping the Shinsengumi shroud onto her shoulders, she carefully knotted the forehead protector and adjusted the wakazashi at her waist. Now fully clothed in uniform, Chizuru's metamorphism was complete.

"I will save you, Kondou-san." She vowed.

It was time.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

When Hijikata had mentioned that the Recovery Division would be leaving within the hour, he had failed to mention that they would be traveling by horseback. Chizuru marched toward the entrance gate in her powder blue silk and found twenty horses tacked and ready for departure. They were lithe and flashy with thick, curling necks and flaring nostrils. Taking in the colorful collection of dapple gray, roan, and chestnut chargers, she realized that her division was outfitted for speed.

These weren't just any horses. These were _samurai_ horses.

Hijikata stood next to a miyako war horse as black as sin. It was the only one with such coloring in the group, and she felt it matched the Demon Vice Commander perfectly. Dressed in a leather saddle with silk panels, it tossed its head defiantly.

She wondered if it could smell the anxiety in the air like she could.

Hijikata stood regal in his Shinsengumi colors and twin blades. Outfitted for war, she was reminded how dangerous he really was as a samurai. Black strands of hair fell into his face, refining the lavender smolder of his gaze. He had a broad set of shoulders coated in sinuous muscle designed to brandish a katana. The panels of his haori draped his form, accentuating his authoritative physique.

The sight of him unsettled her.

Chizuru could see he was speaking quietly to Sannan, and she watched as the Rasetsu handed him a small parcel wrapped in silk. A grave expression exchanged between the two lieutenants before Hijikata placed a reassuring hand on Sannan's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't be in a hurry to die, Sannan-san." He said.

Their surreptitious conversation came to an abrupt halt as Sannan caught sight of Chizuru. He made a show of adjusting his spectacles. Slipping them off, he rubbed the lenses on the lapel of his kimono before slipping them back into place over his eyes. It did little to remove the muddled look on his face.

"Chizuru-chan?" He called out falteringly.

He wasn't the only officer in the courtyard staring at her in disbelief.

A thunderstruck Shinpachi gaped unabashed as Sanosuke reached over to shut his jaw. It did little to prevent the redhead from making his own open-mouth assessment. Hajime tilted his head a fraction of an inch in appreciation. Yamazaki stared, but his right eyebrow rose ever so slightly, displaying a rare amount of incredulity. Inoue pinched his chin, and after a moment of consideration, his lips spread into an approving smile.

Following Sannan's line of sight, Hijikata peered from over his shoulder at the spectacle taking place behind him.

Chizuru had paused mid-courtyard to take care of a loose strand hanging from the hem of her haori. Withdrawing her wakazashi single-handedly, she nicked the silk string and returned the sword to its scabbard with an elegant wrist curl. Releasing the strand into the wind, Chizuru returned her attention to the two lieutenants and blinked.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked.

Hijikata roved her body with his cutting gaze.

"Chizuru, what are you wearing?" He asked.

She assessed her own appearance before returning his look.

"It is a gift from Kondou-san," she replied. "He had it made for me."

"Kondou-san?" He mouthed in open vexation.

Something about the sight of her must have upset Hijikata. Dark shadows collected underneath his eyes, making him appear unnerving.

He drew closer.

"You are wearing armor, a wakazashi, and now you tell me Kondou-san has outfitted you for a soldier's uniform?" He inquired in that precariously rich, smooth voice. "I gave no authorization for you to wear Shinsengumi colors."

Chizuru's pulse quickened, but she didn't balk.

"This is to be a token of my dedication to the Shinsengumi." She stated. "Seeing as Kondou-san was the one to give me such an honor, I feel it is most appropriate to be wearing it when we rescue him."

"Chizuru, you are accompanying this division for your own safety. I do not expect you to participate," he objected stubbornly. "Wearing a uniform could place you in more harm."

"On the contrary, Hijikata-san, I think it is an excellent idea," Sannan interjected with crossed arms. "Dressed the way she is, no one will suspect her true identity. She will blend in better with the recruits."

"I don't intend to draw attention to myself, if that is what you are afraid of, Hijikata-san." She reassured him, placing a hand over her heart.

The oni-fukuchou appeared unconvinced. His lips thinned into a frown.

"Chizuru has been practicing her sword craft with Senhime," Sanosuke proffered in way of support. "From the looks of it, she is quite talented."

"And it's a symbolic gesture, Hijikata-san." Shinpachi chimed in. "You know the Head Commander is all about symbolism and heroics. This isn't to imply that she is a soldier now."

"But I can defend myself if I need to," Chizuru countered with a raised finger. "Please, Hijikata-san? It would mean so much to me to wear this. It holds Kondou-san's respect and admiration. I can't leave it in a time like this."

The passion in her voice tugged at the oni-fukuchou's own emotional turmoil, releasing him of his reservations.

Hijikata surrendered a low growl.

"Just this once," he muttered.

Chizuru's face flushed with gold.

"Thatta girl!" Shinpachi winked with thumbs up.

Sanosuke reached out and adjusted the strings of her haori so they crisscrossed like his. "There, now you look the part, Chizuru-chan."

Hijikata lifted fingers to his mouth and blew a whistle.

A rose gray mare dislodged from the group and cavorted to the Demon Vice Commander obediently. Her face and socks were a smoky charcoal, but her flanks had an iridescent red sheen in the late afternoon sunlight. Chizuru noticed that her face was far more slender and gentle compared to Hijikata's black charger, but the mare swished her tail spiritedly. She too was saddled and awaiting a rider.

Chizuru wasn't sure exactly what to do. She had never ridden a horse before.

Without any warning, Hijikata caught her by the waist and hoisted her up onto the saddle.

"Do you know how to ride?" He asked her.

The way in which Chizuru hunched over the mare with her hands clutching tufts of mane in a death-like grip told him no, no she didn't know how to ride.

The comical sight softened the oni-fukuchou.

"Here, let me show you," he offered.

Chizuru's heart catapulted out of her chest as she felt Hijikata's hands glide down her leg. Slipping her foot into the stirrup, he gently forced her heel down so that her toes angled upwards. His other hand pushed her leg back to open up her pelvis, allowing her better posture in the saddle.

"Keep your heels down. It will help you keep your balance," he explained.

Next, he reached for her hands and laced the reins through her fingers, showing her the proper way of gripping the leather. Tugging her elbows in towards her stomach, he murmured, "Keep your arms low so that your mare can communicate with you through the bit. That is all you need to know."

"Uh…right." She replied. "Heels down, elbows in. Got it."

The mare took a jaunty step forward, causing her to issue a pitiful squeak.

Hijikata mounted his own horse. Inoue, Yamazaki and a team of sixteen riders gathered behind him as his charger danced about the yard. The rest of the compound stood for a ceremonial sendoff with Sannan at the head.

Releasing his katana, Hijikata held it above his head like a battle baton.

"Tonight, we ride for Kondou! Tonight, we ride for the Shinsengumi! Tonight, we ride for the Bakufu!" He roared ferociously. "WHO'S WITH ME?"

The courtyard erupted into a medley of battle cries as every soldier in the compound answered their Demon Vice Commander. Even Chizuru hollered until her lungs went numb.

Hijikata gave one final glance at headquarters, hoping to catch sight of Okita, but the captain was nowhere to be seen. Bestowing a final glance upon Sannan and the rest of the Shinsengumi elite, he nudged the black war horse with his leg and it sprang into a canter.

The Recovery Division was on the move.

He only hoped they would reach Kondou in time.

* * *

**A/N:** There is so much going on in this chapter: a war council, shinobi, samurai horses – oh my! The Shinsengumi is disbanding into different divisions, which is _exactly_ what Kazama wants. Senhime and Kimigiku have made their brief departure from this story, but don't worry. Their part is yet to be completed.

Chizuru had finished her training, but I know what you might be thinking. Girliebird, what the heck is the Seventh Gate?! Did you forget? Be at peace, my loves. I have not forgotten. There is a minor hint to the final gate of the Demon Arts inside this chapter, but all will be illuminated soon.

Also, Heisuke is getting busted out of the Mausoleum's Guard at last! Yay!

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Oishi's Tale" – Ilan Eshkeri (war council scene)

"Reunited Ronin" – Ilan Eshkeri (samurai horse scene)

_Thank you so much_ for reading and leaving those motivational reviews. This story would not have come this far without your encouraging words and enthusiasm. Thank you so so so much!

Another chapter is on its way.

girliebird


	15. Fubuki and Tsundora

**Chapter Fifteen: _Fubuki and Tsundora_**

* * *

If life incarcerated behind walls had been the first form of torture Chizuru would never impose on her worst enemy, riding a horse quickly became her second.

Certain parts of her body had grown numb during the first night of travel, but when she realized that Hijikata intended to press onwards the next day without breaking down for camp, her misery increased exponentially. That was not to say that her mare was a feral beast. She was quite nimble and sweet. Keeping pace with the other chargers galloping along the road, she seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to stretch her legs and test her stamina.

Chizuru, unfortunately, could not share in her enthusiasm.

To her immense surprise; however, she discovered she wasn't completely hopeless in the saddle. It had taken the better part of the first evening to adjust to the crescendo of the Demon Vice Commander's pace. She had spent the majority of the time clutching her reins, her horse's mane and the saddle for dear life.

It was probably why her body became so numb.

She rode in between Yamazaki and Inoue who both took turns keeping tabs on her while Hijikata led the cavalry at the head. Every two hours, a pair of horses would race ahead of the group to flush out any threats that could be waiting for them on the road. Hijikata took his first watch in the morning of the first day, letting his black miyako stream past the others on powerful legs.

Chizuru recognized the road that they traveled. It was the same one she had taken all those months ago when she left Edo to search for her missing father. The thought brought about mixed feelings in her chest as she contemplated the brave girl who faced this road alone, not knowing a den of Mibu Wolves was waiting for her in Kyoto.

She couldn't help but marvel at the twist of fate, the change of her destiny.

She had started this journey as a daughter of a doctor, and now she was returning a pure blood demon and comrade of the Shinsengumi. If she had not decided to set out on this road all those months ago, the person she was now would not exist. Hijikata would not exist in her world either.

That was when she experienced the first headache.

Around noon on the first day of their journey, Chizuru's temples began to pulsate with sharp pain. Thinking it might be her forehead protector, she loosened the knot at the back of her head, but the headache did not go away.

"Yukimura-kun, are you alright?" Inoue asked as he pulled his chestnut charger closer.

Chizuru had been cradling her forehead in one hand, while she steered her mare with the other.

"Yes, Inoue-san. I seem to have a slight headache is all." She murmured.

"You are probably dehydrated," he assumed. "Where is your water skin?"

She pulled it from her front saddle bag.

"Drink," he urged her. "It will help alleviate the pressure. Also, you should probably eat something too."

Inoue retracted a palm leaf parcel from his own saddle bag and handed it to Chizuru.

It was a seasoned rice ball.

"Thank you, Inoue-san," she smiled gratefully.

Chizuru knew that she had burned quite a bit of her energy during the tournament with Senhime, so her exhaustion was to be expected the next day. She followed Inoue's urgings to eat and drink, but the headache only continued to get worse.

_What is happening to me?_ She wondered. _Why do I feel like this?_

It was the most unusual sensation she had ever experienced – and she had experienced quite a lot in the past few days. A normal headache built up pressure in the cranium, making a person tender to vibrations, noises, and jostling. If Chizuru had a normal headache, even the smooth gait of her horse would have tortured her, but this was not a normal headache.

Chizuru's _mind_ was shifting.

Memories that she had carried with her all her life began to fragment and blur. Reminiscing about her fate and the road had caused a chain reaction in her mind, creating a blue haze to settle over her conscious. Her mind became muddled with foreign memories.

Koudou was holding her, his large arms cradling her back as she sobbed.

_It's alright sweetheart_, he murmured lovingly. _It's alright. I've got you. You are safe now._

She was four years old - a tiny thing with big eyes that streamed with endless tears.

_Are they safe too?_ She was asking him.

He peered at her, but was unwilling to answer.

Chizuru felt a stab of grief and it stunned her.

The memory was so vivid in her mind, and yet she had never recalled it in her life.

Who had she been so concerned about?

There was another memory that came to the forefront of her mind unbidden. One that took place on a beautiful summer day in a meadow full of wildflowers. She was being tugged along by the hand, but her eyes were closed with mirth as she laughed.

_Chizu, Chizu look what I've made!_

Chizuru tensed in her saddle. Snapping her gaze to the left and right, she was disturbed to hear the excited murmurings of a small child when she was in the company of soldiers. The pine trees that lined the sides of the road stood tall and foreboding like sentries and shadow began to pool on the forest floor. She felt uneasy.

_Here, you take it. It is a gift for you…_

"I know that voice," she murmured with furrow brows.

The sensation was like being caught in a dream, but being unable to make sense of anything. She was filled with recognition, but she couldn't place the individual to the voice. Her mind continued to burn savagely.

By the time the Demon Vice Commander called for a halt, the moon was a swollen pearl in the night sky.

Slipping out of the saddle, Chizuru was relieved to be back on her two feet.

"The border of Satsuma is over that ridge," Hijikata announced, laying a finger over the noticeable divot in the horizon. "Rest now and prepare for battle. We resume in five hours. I need two soldiers to take first watch."

The horses were fed and watered, before the soldiers set up camp.

Chizuru found some dried plums in her saddle bag and fed them to her mare, receiving a grateful nicker in return. She tethered the resilient war horse with her pasture mates, and took a moment to stretch her stiff body. Raising hands high into the air, she curled her spine until it made a loud _pop_.

The soreness would go away immediately, she knew. It was the headache that worried her.

Her vision continued to swirl with the first signs of vertigo.

Making a grand show of strolling into camp unfazed, she found Hijikata congregating with Yamazaki and Inoue over a low fire. They were examining a map.

"Kondou's party should be here. If we strike this path near the creek, we can intercept him in time," Hijikata was explaining.

"It will be another day before we reach the Satsuma border, even with this shortcut," Yamazaki assessed calmly. "Why not send a rider out ahead to inform the Head Commander?"

"It's too dangerous of a risk. Kondou has an entire patrol unit. If he should be attacked before we reach him, we have to hope he will fight off the assassins until we arrive." The oni-fukuchou sighed. "I can't afford to gamble with your life, Yamazaki-san. Not yet."

The Shinsengumi spy nodded.

"Hai, Commander."

"Chizuru, come by the fire," Inoue beckoned to her with a reassuring smile. "There's no need to languish in the cold."

"Thank you, Inoue-san." She said, eagerly approaching the flames.

"How is your headache?" He asked.

"Much better," she lied without taking her eyes from the fire. The sight of the flames pulled her into a small trance, as she caught fleeting images swimming in the coals.

"You are feeling unwell, Chizuru?" Hijikata pressed.

It took her a moment to realize he was addressing her.

"What? Oh…no, no. I'm fine." She assured him. She saw a flash of metal in her mind's eye and winced.

Hijikata saw through her guise.

"You have been overdoing it again, haven't you?" He presumed. Cupping her chin in his hand, he examined her eyes and frowned. "You are exhausted."

"No more than you," she countered, but he wasn't listening.

Releasing her, he walked over to his saddle bag and pulled out a small roll. Untying its strings, he shook out the blanket and wrapped it firmly around her shoulders. Pulling the folds around her neck like a thick kimono made from feather down, he steered her toward a tree just outside the fire.

"Rest," he ordered. "The day ahead will be dangerous."

"Alright," she surrendered.

The Demon Vice Commander made to return to the fire, but she caught his sleeve.

"Hijikata-san, do you think we will reach Kondou in time?"

He was slow to turn around. She watched the shifting of his shoulders, the movement of his head as he peered into the winter sky. Moonlight bathed his face, illuminating the hard lines of his frown. When he turned back to her, his face was lost in shadow once more.

"Yes, I do." He murmured. "Now rest."

Chizuru watched him head for the other side of the camp before she took a seat against the broad expanse of the pine tree behind her. Removing the wakazashi from her side, she tucked it inside of her blanket and sighed.

"Don't worry about him, Chizuru-chan. He is always like this whenever danger is in the air," said Yamazaki as he took a seat beside her. "It's bad enough having to worry about Kondou, but now your life is in peril too. He has his work cut out for him."

"Yamazaki-san…I believe we owe you and Hajime-kun a huge depth of gratitude," she responded warmly. "Without you, we would have been oblivious until it was too late. Thank you."

The spy inclined his head.

"It is an honor to serve the Shinsengumi and protect its interests," he implored, "I do not require gratitude, but I thank you for the sentiment all the same."

"Well, it's good to have you back with us."

"It is good to be back," he smiled. Then, a bit tentatively, he asked, "So…is it true? You are an oni now?"

Chizuru nodded her head.

"Yes, I am demon straight from the storybooks. I have magical powers and everything." She confirmed, fluttering her fingers dramatically.

"White hair and horns?"

"Yep, those too."

"Wow." Yamazaki leaned against the trunk of his tree and grinned. "Just when you think you have this world figured out, something comes along and shatters the illusion."

Chizuru rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

"It makes me happy, though. Maybe even somewhat relieved," the spy mused aloud. "There are people who believe that the beauty of this world is fading under the rigor of modernization. That everything we have believed in until this point has been futile. It comforts me knowing that there is still some mystery to this universe. There is still meaning to our lives."

"Yamazaki-san…" Chizuru breathed. His words affected her deeply. "Yes, I agree."

They fell into companionable silence before she fell unconscious. Nestling into the warmth of her blanket, she closed her eyes and slipped into a deep sleep. It was precisely at the moment that the walls of her subconscious caved in and her cognizance began its slow, tedious process of reconstruction. It began scaffolding with the concrete facts: Chizuru's fundamental understanding of the world, human society and sacrament. But as the foundation set in, her mind began to construct a beautiful temple with various levels of conscious memory. The first level housed the memories of her childhood. The second level housed the memories of her father, Koudou Yukimura. The third level housed her education…on and on, the temple rose in layers upon layers of conscious memory.

The foreign memories began to intertwine with the familiar ones, and Chizuru began to _remember_.

The summer day in the meadow - it was fresh and alive before her very eyes.

She was laughing as someone pulled her through the tall grass, urging her to keep up.

_Chizu, Chizu look what I've made!_

A little boy picked up a crown of flowers and held it out to her.

_Here, you take it. It's a gift for you._

She took the flower tiara into her small hands, but the boy was too anxious to let her put it on herself. Taking it again, he lowered it onto her head.

_There. Now you look like a princess. _

The memory faded into a fiery scene of a burning village. Chizuru stood stricken and terrified amidst the commotion as a whole street cindered to the ground. People were shouting and fleeing from the heat, but she remained rooted to the spot unable to move. The little boy rushed to her side, tugging at the sleeve of her kimono.

_Chizu, come on. We have to run! We can't stay in this bad place._

Somehow, she remembered how to use her legs. Breaking into a sprint, she focused on the back of the boy as he led her through the fire. People continued to scream and shout, but she could only hear the pounding heart inside her chest.

A dark shadow moved through the flames, a demon with a steel fang. Catching sight of the silver glimmer within the burning inferno, she screamed when a violent Hijikata charged through the flames wielding his katana.

Chizuru woke with a start.

Heart pounding and brow perspiring, she took a sharp breath. The images of her dream stayed hidden behind her eye lids, but she could still feel the terror coursing through her body. Dropping her head into her hands, she tried to make sense of nightmare, but the sound of shuffling leaves disturbed her trance.

Peering at her surroundings, she realized that the camp had fallen dark. The fire was nothing but a pile of red coals, and she was surprised to see the oni-fukuchou resting against the tree directly opposite her. His katana was held in his hands, but it remained sheathed within its scabbard. Hijikata's eyes were closed as he breathed softly.

Extricating herself from the warmth of the blanket, she let the cold sharpen her senses.

She needed air.

Sneaking past the sleeping lieutenant, she padded silently through the bushes. The guards would be stationed at opposite ends of the encampment, so she veered off to the right where the shadows stretched in the moonlight, providing camouflage. It was wrong of her to go against orders, but she was experiencing an identity crisis the likes of which required extreme solitude. She just needed a moment alone.

Apparently, even that was too much to ask for on this night.

Chizuru heard the same fluttering of leaves before a figure stepped into her path.

"Who's there?" She questioned, immediately drawing her wakazashi.

In these woods, the assassins could be anywhere.

The figure lingered on the outskirts of the moonlight, unwilling to give the game away so soon.

"Chizu, your senses are keener than ever," a familiar voice drawled. "Very good."

Her heart began to race. Drawing forth her chikara, she allowed the steel of her blade to glow.

"Kaoru?"

There was a soft chuckle.

"Ah - you are beginning to remember at last," he murmured with a grin. "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this moment. It's been too long, Chizu."

Kaoru Nagumo stepped into the moonlight, but the girlish masquerade had been abandoned in favor of an emerald haori and gray hakama. He wore his hair just like Chizuru and carried a katana at his waist. There was no denying it. She could not dismiss the recognition that flooded her being.

The boy in her dreams…was Kaoru Nagumo.

"You…you are my brother." She voiced incredulously.

Kaoru nodded.

"It's a funny thing about our akuma no chikara." He ruminated, slowly circling the clearing. "All those enchantments placed on us when we are children began to fade away once it's awakened, and reality begins to reassert itself."

She lowered her blade.

"Kaoru, you are my brother." She repeated.

"Yes, and you are my twin sister." He confirmed. "You didn't really think we could look so alike and not be siblings, did you?"

Chizuru was at a loss for words. The pain had returned to her skull and she faltered.

"How can this be?" She murmured in disbelief.

Sensing her discomfort, Kaoru paused.

"Your wakazashi is a family heirloom," he spoke gently. Retracting the katana from his waist, he awakened the demon sword in a flare of light. "My katana is also a family heirloom. Its name is _Fubuki_, meaning 'snow storm'. Your wakazashi's name is _Tsundora_, meaning 'tundra'. These are the two celestial blades of our ancestor. See? They are a pair just like us."

To her surprise, _Tsundora_ resonated at the sound of its name. Love and affection animated from the short sword as it recognized its forge mate, _Fubuki_.

The emotion filled her with wonder.

"So you are saying that I've been placed under an enchantment?" She asked. "By who? Father?"

"Do you mean Koudou?" He asked with a quirked brow. "Chizuru, haven't you realized yet? Koudou is not our biological father. He's our uncle."

Now _this_ upset her.

Raising _Tsundora_, Chizuru scowled at the dangerous boy. "I don't believe you."

"No? Well, perhaps in time. Koudou _is_ family, but the brother of our mother. I can explain the family tree anytime that you are ready," Kaoru offered with a casual wave of his hand. "Or perhaps you would prefer to speak to Koudou yourself? I can take you to him if you like?"

"You know the whereabouts of my father?" She interrogated.

"Still not convinced, huh?" Kaoru sighed. "I'm rather disappointed, Chizu. I thought once you learned the Demon Arts it would all come back to you. Your family, your parents, you own brother…do you not remember what happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Our family was _destroyed_, Chizuru. Our parents were slain in cold blood." Kaoru responded ingenuously. "The only reason we survived is because I _saved_ us. Don't you remember the fire at all?"

Chizuru was weakening. It was too much to ingest all at once. Backing up from Kaoru, she placed a hand on a nearby tree to steady herself, but the images from her dream flashed across her eyes like a ghost.

Suddenly, her memory of Koudou made sense.

_It's alright sweetheart_, _it's alright. I've got you. You are safe now._

_Are they safe too?_

Her parents. She had been asking about her parents.

Chizuru slumped against the tree as remorse overwhelmed her.

"Kaoru, what happened to us? Why were we split up?" She asked after a moment.

"It was too dangerous for us to be together. Our enemies would have killed us if they found us." He explained solemnly. "Koudou split us up to protect us. You became his ward and I began the ward of the Tosa Clan."

Chizuru's world turned topsy-turvy. Everything she knew about herself was being redefined yet _again_, and she wasn't sure she could handle it a second time. The way the pressure compacted her skull was enough to make her scream; she didn't need Kaoru smothering her with their tragic family past too.

It was too much. Far too much.

Moved by her open vulnerability, Kaoru approached her slowly. The point of _Fubuki_ nearly dragged along the forest floor as he sauntered close.

"Come with me," he urged her gently. "Be my sister again. We can start anew as the Yukimura twins. We can go speak with Koudou and have everything explained. I can help you, Chizuru."

Breaking from her emotional frenzy, Chizuru straightened her spine.

"I can't, Kaoru." She said with a shake of her head. "I have a duty to fulfill."

Kaoru's eyes slivered diminutively.

"What, to these humans?" He scoffed. "Chizuru, your world does not involve the Mibu Wolves. They are nothing to you. As a pureblood demon, you should be with your own kind, with your _real_ family."

"They are my family though. I love them and I will not abandon them."

"So you will abandon me? Your own flesh and blood?"

"No! You are my brother. I know that now, but I can't go with you. It's not that simple."

"You're not making any sense."

"Kaoru, please-"

"NO!" He shouted abruptly. "No, I will not lose you again. Not like this. Chizuru, you are coming with me and that is final."

He made to grab her by the sleeve, but jerked backwards in alarm.

They weren't the only ones in these woods.

"What's this? A squabble between siblings? How unlikely."

Chizuru's eyes widened as a familiar trickster swordsman stood in front of her, shielding her view of Kaoru. Taking in the sharp lines of his torso, her heart lurched painfully in her chest as she saw the snowy white hair of a Rasetsu.

"Okita-san." She murmured in heartbreak.

"Souji Okita, is that _you_?" Kaoru lamented with a sinister smile. "I see you decided to take my advice after all. What happened? Did you have a change of heart?"

"For such a convalescent meeting in the moonlight between two demons, I didn't want to be left out," Okita jested dangerously. "I can't let you oni have all the fun."

The statement was teasing, but there was an undercurrent of hostility to his voice.

"This Nagumo kid claims he is your brother," he said to Chizuru with a glance over his shoulder. "Is it true?"

She returned his blood red gaze and nodded.

"It is true."

Okita withdrew his katana in a slow, deliberate motion that elicited a hiss from Kaoru.

"The girl stays, Nagumo. She doesn't have time to play with you. She is on official Shinsengumi business."

"You dare come between us, mongrel?" Kaoru laughed derisively. "You humans can be so bold, especially when you think you have power. Well let me clue you in on a little secret, Okita-_kun_. You may be a fake imitation, but that does not rid the fact that you will die from your disease. I lied when I said it would reverse your illness. It can't."

Okita _tsk_ed in frustration. Compelled by anger, the captain lunged for Kaoru. Delivering a killing swipe of his sword, he aimed for the boy's torso, but Kaoru disappeared just in time to miss the steel edge. Reappearing at Chizuru's side, he pushed her up against the tree.

"Chizuru!" Okita called out in distress.

"Let's see how well you perform your duty without _this_."

Twisting her wrist, Kaoru freed _Tsundora_ from her grasp.

"No, don't!" She tried to stop him, but the oni melted into the shadows. Chizuru pushed off the tree to follow him, but she was barricaded by Okita's arms. Holding her in place, she was unable to pursue the thief.

"Leave it, Chizuru," he ordered. "There is no telling what is out there. He could be leading you into a trap."

"But you don't understand," she wailed in anguish. "That was my demon sword. Without it, I can't fight. I can't save Kondou. I can't-"

Chizuru suddenly slumped against his chest as the strength in her body disappeared. Okita was quick to catch her before she fell to the ground. Holding her by the waist, his anxiety grew as her head fell against his shoulder. She had grown completely flaccid.

"Chizuru, what's wrong? What's happening?" He asked her agitatedly.

Little did he know that Chizuru was experiencing a painful rip in her chikara as the connection in her sword was severed. The sensation was equivalent to a flesh wound, she realized. The pain she had experienced in the aftermath of the ronin ambush paled in comparison to the white hot agony in her chest. It felt as if she were being sliced in two. Chizuru bit back a scream.

Letting go of her chikara - letting is seep back into her skin - was the only way to cease the pain.

"That sword carried my essence," she rasped. "My power… it's been severed."

Okita lowered her gently onto the forest floor, cradling her by the shoulders. The feverish Rasetsu state withdrew, returning the captain to his human form. Chizuru peered into his bright green eyes.

"Why did you drink the Ochimizu?" She asked.

"You and I both know I'll die soon anyway," he murmured calmly. "Why not enjoy a little supernatural power before I depart this world? I'm just like you, Chizuru-chan. I want to protect the people I love too."

"But the blood lust and the madness-"

"I'll be just fine." He denounced with a halfhearted grin. "It's you that I am worried about. How are you feeling?"

He gently helped her sit up as she quietly assessed her state of wellbeing.

"I should live," she intoned monotonously. "If someone doesn't kill me first because I was stupid enough to let my sword get taken."

It was the first time he had witness Chizuru burn with anger. Her copper eyes shined with a tinge of blue, and he felt gooseflesh form on his skin.

"Hey, it's okay. So you stumbled a little tonight. Don't torture yourself over it. That Kaoru Nagumo has a tendency to show up whenever there's trouble," he pointed out for her benefit. "I guarantee you that we'll see him again soon and we'll get your sword back. But for now…"

Withdrawing the wakazashi still resting at his hip, he pressed the sword – scabbard and all – into her hands.

"Use this in place of your demon sword." He said. "It's something to keep you safe."

The anger still sizzled in Chizuru's blood, but the prospect of getting her sword back did console her ever so slightly. Okita pulled her back onto her feet and dusted their clothes off from leaf litter and pine needles.

He was surprised when she hugged him.

"Thank you, Okita-san," she mumbled into his blue haori. "Although I am not happy with you being a Rasetsu…I am glad you are here. We need you."

The trickster swordsman smiled, and it was a genuine smile. Ruffling Chizuru's hair, he said, "Brace yourself, Chizuru-chan. Hijikata is not going to be happy when we return to camp."

"No," Hijikata's voice entered the clearing like frost, "I most certainly will not."

* * *

**A/N:** I am a cruel, cruel person. :D

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Main Titles (Instrumental)" – Rachel Portman (Chizuru's memories)

"Banishment" – Patrick Doyle (Chizuru/Kaoru scene)

Thank you so much for reading! Another chapter is on its way. I won't leave you in suspense for too long.

girliebird


	16. A Fight in the Moonlight

**Chapter Sixteen: _A Fight in the Moonlight_**

* * *

"Ah, good evening Hijikata-san," Okita greeted with a smile. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," came his frigid reply.

Hijikata stepped out into the clearing, letting the moonlight illuminate his prone silhouette. Chizuru was consumed with dread as she caught sight of the katana held in his left hand. His face was masked in shadow, giving sharp angles to his expression, but when he spoke, his voice was disconcertingly soft.

"What are you playing at, Souji?"

Okita lost his casual pretense. "I've come to help Kondou."

"So you turned yourself Rasetsu?" Hijikata snarled.

"It was a small price to pay," he said with a hunch of his shoulders. "It was a decision to be made and I made it. End of story."

His comment upset the oni-fukuchou.

"No, this is not 'end of story'. You deliberately abandoned your assignment and left Sannan to defend headquarters alone." Hijikata growled. "This is an offense punishable by seppuku."

"Hijikata-san, please," Chizuru intercepted with raised hands, "We can't afford to fight like this."

The Demon Vice Commander fixed her with his smoldering gaze.

"You have also broken protocol," he chastised severely. "Do you think wearing a Shinsengumi uniform allots you special privileges?"

"No, it's not like that," she tried to explain, but Hijikata would not be swayed.

"To what point must I fight in order to keep those under my protection safe? Do you want to jeopardize this mission?" He voiced aloud his frustration. "Why is it that whenever there is a wrinkle in the plan, I always find you two?"

Okita took a step forward.

"Hijikata-san, we are being followed by Kaoru Nagumo," he informed the raging lieutenant. "He has been waiting for an opportune moment to snatch Chizuru. He tried to kidnap her just now."

"Kaoru Nagumo?" Hijikata repeated with a quirked brow. "I do not know a Kaoru Nagumo."

"He is my twin brother," Chizuru said quietly.

The meeting with Kaoru still seemed surreal, but as much as she wanted to denounce him as a blood relation, she could not deny the truth of his confession. He was her brother. She had felt it in the power emanating from her celestial sword and she had seen it with her own eyes. He was in every possible way her other half. Her omega. Her twin.

Hijikata regarded her with open cynicism.

"You have a sibling." He stated flatly. "And you choose _now_ to tell me this?"

"I didn't know I had a brother either," she said, rubbing her forehead. "This is news to me too."

Pacing agitatedly between the two swordsmen, Chizuru rested a hand on her hip in thought.

"Kaoru says that I am under an enchantment. For whatever reason, Koudou wishes for me to forget my brother and go on believing that he is my father." She reflected. "But now that I have awakened my power, the spell is starting to diminish, and I am beginning to remember things differently."

Now _this_ confounded the Demon Vice Commander.

"Koudou Yukimura is not your father?" He asked. "How can you be so sure?"

She ceased her pacing long enough to close her eyes in a moment of thought.

"Right now, my memories of Koudou are veiled in a haze," she admitted. "But I am beginning to see a disparity in my recollection of things. Kaoru could very well be telling the truth."

She continued massaging her temples. There was so much to be sorted out.

"Your headache," Hijikata intoned, "Is it from the enchantment?"

"Yes." She sighed. "It only just started bothering me this afternoon."

Seeing her in pain made him uncomfortable.

"Why would Koudou do such a thing?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Okita interjected. "He's plotting something that involves Chizuru somehow."

The notion was perplexing. Koudou had been nonexistent in her life these past couple of months and the Shinsengumi had yet to discover anything about the missing doctor. The idea that Koudou might be benefiting from her state of ignorance maddened her.

"You might be right about that. Kaoru and Koudou are working together," She added with a frown. "He offered to take me to him. He knows Koudou's whereabouts."

"Do you think your…brother… knows about the medicine?" Hijikata asked.

"I'm not sure," she murmured, "He didn't mention it."

Okita was very careful to neutralize his expression. It was Kaoru's vial of Ochimizu that turned him Rasetsu after all. He had decided to keep Kaoru's nightly visit on the down low, but the nature of their conversation was what had convinced the swordsman that there was a conspiracy brewing between the Nagumo kid and the doctor.

"We shouldn't trust them." He declared ambiguously. "Sorry, Chizuru."

"It's okay." She replied. "But I _will_ have answers. I want to know what they are planning."

And she wanted her sword back too.

"Kaoru will show his face again eventually," Okita warned her. "There is no doubt that he'll make another attempt to abduct you."

"I won't let that happen," Hijikata vowed.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he drew her close.

"Chizuru, from this moment onwards, you are to stay by my side." He ordered. "I want to protect you, but I can't do so if you always take matters into your own hands. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you," she responded. "I will stay by your side, but let me help you. I can fight too, you know."

"No, I will not ask that of you." He replied. "You are not a soldier."

"Aren't I though?" She challenged him hotly. "I have the same cares and concerns like everyone else."

"Yes, but that does not make you a soldier."

"Why do you think I've been working so hard to master the Demon Arts? So that I can sit on the sidelines helpless and vulnerable? No!" She fumed. "I _want_ to help."

"Chizuru, your place is not on the battlefield."

She pulled away from Hijikata and tossed her hands into the air with a humorless laugh.

"Ah, but it is!" She rebuked. "Don't you see? Kazama wants me as his bride, Koudou wants me as his daughter, Kaoru wants me as his sister, Itou wants me as his captive…I can't forever be at the mercy of someone else, Hijikata-san. Everyday my circumstances are changing, and it is putting the Shinsengumi at greater risk. I have to fight."

"So my protection means nothing to you," he seethed.

"It means everything to me," she whispered. "That's why I want to help you."

_I love you_, she wanted to confess. She wanted to confess it so badly. But the frustration and humiliation of having her sword taken away by her conniving brother was still fresh on her mind. Being reminded of the true extent of her ignorance had also been a nasty pill to swallow. No matter how hard she tried to do the right thing, to become her own person, someone was always coming along to threaten her existence. It was enough to make her burst into cobalt flames.

Taking a deep breath, she caught an unnerving metallic fragrance and gasped.

"Oh no…" She breathed, forgetting her anger.

Okita and Hijikata paused.

"What is it, Chizuru?" The captain asked.

She quickly withdrew the wakazashi from its scabbard.

"We're being attacked," she said.

Sure enough, the sounds of metal filled the air, dispelling the eerie quiet. They could hear the horses neighing out of fright as well as the sound of shouting soldiers. Orange flames stirred in the distance, casting strange shadows against the trees.

Chizuru raced behind Hijikata and Okita as they made way for camp.

"I don't understand," Hijikata voiced above the rising conflict, "Itou's forces should not be this far outside Satsuma territory."

"Someone must have seen us coming," Okita replied.

"Kaoru," Chizuru guessed with a groan.

Yamazaki and Inoue were both simultaneously brandishing their swords and issuing orders to the men. What had once been a dark, quiet encampment transformed into a fiery battleground filled with ronin forces. Someone had cut the horses free so that they could escape the fire that began to enflame the perimeter. Hijikata pushed Chizuru aside just in time to miss the sharp hooves of a speckled charger as it made a hasty exodus. The oni-fukuchou shielded her with his body.

"For the sake of my sanity, Chizuru, stay with me." He told her.

She didn't have time to respond.

Three arrows whizzed past her head, sinking into the bark of the pine tree behind her. The arrows had been wrapped with strips of silk doused in lamp oil and set on fire. Another was aimed for Hijikata and would have caught him in the back, but she waved her hand creating a fragment of demon crystal that stopped the arrow in its tracks.

"I'm with you," she nodded.

They were surrounded on all sides of the camp. Ronin samurai ran into the firelight in groups of two and three, shouting and slashing their swords. The Shinsengumi Recovery Division was hard pressed to match their assault, but the majority of the soldiers fell into formation seamlessly. Banding into a tight circle, they were able to absorb the shock of the attacks and keep the enemies at bay.

Inoue had dispatched three assailants by the time Chizuru and Hijikata reached him. The trickster swordsman had broken off and melted into the medley, only too eager to exact vengeance with his new strength.

"Inoue, what's happened?" Hijikata bellowed.

The swordsman was breathing heavily.

"I'm not sure, Commander. They sprang on us so suddenly." He replied. "They killed our watchmen."

"No," Chizuru bit out in shock.

Hijikata slipped into governance mode and began instantly dispensing orders.

"Inoue, I want you to hold your ground here. Yamazaki-"

"Hai, Commander!" The Shinsengumi spy shouted from his place on the opposite side. He was engaged in combat between two ronin that tried to pin him down with their blades. Moving with deft grace, he eluded their advances and cut them down with his katana.

"Gather the men and collect the horses. We can't stay here, we have to press onwards," the oni-fukuchou ordered. "We're no use to Kondou if we die here."

"Right!"

"Also, Souji has joined us. He's a Rasetsu," he announced candidly.

"Great. The more, the merrier," was Inoue's casual reply.

"Hijikata-san, watch out!" Chizuru called out in warning.

A rebel soldier had jumped from the bushes beside them only to rush the lieutenant with duel blades in his hands. Hijikata met his attack head on, twisting his entire body to perform a three hundred and sixty degree cut that ended the rebel's life in one fatal blow. But just as he slumped to the ground, two more took his place and rushed Hijikata from the sides.

Chizuru stepped in and managed to block the aggressor from the left, but Okita's wakazashi felt strange in her grasp. Without the demon power of _Tsundora_, she was back to the basics she had learned in the dojo. Realizing this, she parried his advance and when the rebel met her gaze, she forced him into a coma using Hex Gaze. Watching the lucidity extinguish from his eyes, she tried to quell her shock as the rebel collapsed to the ground lifeless.

Hijikata caught her hand and dragged her out of the path of another adversary, plunging the tip of his katana into the ronin's belly. Chizuru watched in horror as blood bloomed across his chest. He died instantly.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested, clearing his sword of blood.

It was the ambush in the capitol all over again. Chizuru watched as bodies fell to the ground, staining the grass in blood. The wounded cried out in pain, dying of their extremities, but there was nothing they could do but press onwards.

The fire began to blaze across the camp now making it difficult to see through the flames.

Hijikata caught the reins of a horse. The animal reared, its eyes rimmed white with fear, but he was able to calm it enough to hoist Chizuru up into the saddle. Mounting the horse behind her, he took hold of the reins and steered it away from camp. Several other soldiers had managed to collect their horses in the flurry of chaos and followed the Demon Vice Commander.

Pressed against his chest, Chizuru could feel Hijikata's heart racing. He was breathing just as rapidly as she was too. The horse galloped with great impulsion, eager to be free of the mayhem. At this pace, they would be able to escape the fight, but it did nothing to erase the fear and anxiety she felt for the soldiers left behind.

Inoue, Okita, Yamazaki…what would become of them?

Something flew past Chizuru's shoulder.

"_Hijikata-san_!" She screamed.

Struck by an arrow, the lieutenant lost his grip of the reins and began to slip from the saddle. Chizuru felt his weight disappear from behind her, but the horse would not stop. Grabbing the reins, she yanked backwards fiercely, but it only caused the horse to lurch forward against the bit. She had no choice. She had to hop out of the saddle. Throwing her leg to the side, she let gravity pull her to the ground where she tumbled painfully against the solid earth.

Smarting from the fall, Chizuru's head swam.

Fuzzy blotches of light and dark danced across her vision. Blinking back the daze, she caught sight of a looming shadow as it rose from the flames.

"Hijikata?"

She heard a laugh, and the sound of it made her insides coil.

"I see the Demon Arts had made you no less clumsy," the shadow droned with delight.

Chizuru watched as a pair of feet sauntered towards her, increasing her hysteria.

"Kazama," she cursed.

The Demon of the West was no illusion this time. He stood before her as real and portentous as the screams of agony floating in the night air. Dressed in his black and white silks hemmed in gold, the feline pupils of his red gaze gleamed from the firestorm. A heady aura surrounded the demon prince, causing her neck to tingle and her brown eyes to dilate. Every inch of her body became hypersensitive as he pinned her with a devious grin.

Pure primal instinct forced Chizuru to her feet.

"Don't come any closer," she threatened, drawing Okita's wakazashi.

As way of response, Kazama took his precious time sweeping her figure with an appraising look.

"You are always so eager to fight me, Chizuru." He mused languidly. "Do I repulse you that much?"

"I don't like you if that's what you're asking," she murmured.

The demon advanced and it took the entirety of her willpower not to back away.

"I see the Shinsengumi has dressed you up as a soldier. Your protectors must be eager to exploit your abilities now that they are aware of what you truly are. Tell me, how long do you intend to remain their puppet?" He asked.

Chizuru swallowed.

"I am not a puppet."

"No?" Kazama glanced at the discord behind him thoughtfully.

"Humans are capricious creatures. They are greedy by nature." He stated, withdrawing his katana. "Your power will only serve to draw them in, Chizuru. They will destroy you in the end."

She clenched her teeth.

"With all due respect, Kazama, I disagree." She said. "And I have no interest in becoming your wife, so we can cease this game of ours."

The oni's smile vanished, replaced with something much more frightening.

"You think this is a game?" He glared.

Chizuru's senses peaked in alarm as the demon melted into nothing. Utilizing her training with Senhime, she tried to pinpoint the source of his chikara, but he was so _fast_. Materializing right before her, he struck a blow with his katana that ripped the short sword from her hands. Grabbing a fistful of her silk haori, he drew her close enough that her vision swam with red and gold.

"If you think this is a game, you are sorely mistaken," he mouthed dangerously. "Don't think for a moment that I won't dismantle everything that ties you to these pathetic humans just because you know a few tricks. I will."

He had them locked in a staring match, but the demon prince lowered his gaze to her lips.

His voice was soft and muted as he said, "Perhaps then, you will be able to understand me."

Chizuru shivered as she felt the blunt edge of his katana slip under her chin forcing her head up.

"Let her go, Kazama," Hijikata warned.

Chizuru glanced past the demon's shoulder and saw the lieutenant standing tall and lethal with his katana poised for an attack.

Kazama closed his eyes and the unscrupulous smile returned to his lips. Peering at Chizuru, he murmured, "How about I start with him?"

She fought against him.

"Don't you dare!" She hissed.

Kazama tossed her aside uncaringly as he focused his attention on the Demon Vice Commander.

"Oni-fukuchou, it is good to see you again," he hailed. "I haven't gotten over the fact that our last fight was interrupted. Shall we continue where we left off?"

Chizuru rolled back onto her feet and pounced, but with a flick of his wrist, Kazama created a demon barrier as massive as a glass dome. It settled around the two swordsmen. When she collided with the crystal shield, she was jostled backwards against a tree. The impact left her stunned.

"Chizuru!" Hijikata shouted.

"Relax, she can't disturb us now." The oni explained. "Besides, I want her to watch."

Hijikata tensed.

"Chizuru, pay attention," Kazama beckoned her from inside the dome. "We'll consider this another lesson to add to your understanding of the Demon Arts. Tonight, you will learn the true frailty of humans."

Chizuru was in a state of shear panic. She _knew_ Hijikata had been hit by an arrow. He was standing on his two feet, but she could see that he was favoring his sword arm. Thin red lines began to appear on the back of his hand and she could see that it was blood. It wouldn't be a fair fight. She had to get in there.

"Enough of this, Kazama," said Hijikata. "I don't have time for you."

"What's this? You don't want to fight?" The demon taunted in mock surprise. "You must know that I'll actually kill you this time, demon imposter."

"I am not an imposter." He growled.

"You are not a demon either, so what are you Hijikata?"

Wishing to start things quickly, Kazama rushed Hijikata head on and was pleased that the Demon Vice Commander responded to his challenge. The pressure of their swords drew them inwards as they strove for dominance. When Kazama changed the direction of his force, angling his katana downwards, Hijikata responded with a counterattack that reversed the strike. There was no moment of reprieve. Hijikata instantly stepped into a diagonal thrust that forced Kazama to take a lengthy step backwards.

Kazama grinned.

Chizuru watched their treacherous fight in growing alarm.

She couldn't believe the irony of her situation. Had she not vowed to never let this happen again? That night in the compound when Kazama descended on the Shinsengumi and nearly killed Hijikata, it had been the defining moment for Chizuru to learn the Demon Arts. She had worked so hard in the hopes of protecting herself and her loved ones from harm, but the moment she stepped outside headquarters she had become insufferably useless.

She wanted to scream, she was so furious.

Anger swelled in the cavity of her chest. She let it fill her heart, her lungs, her stomach. She let the sizzling, electric burn course through her veins until she felt faint with fury.

Letting her anger serve as a conduit for her fear, she began to assess the crystal dome.

"There has got to be a way to shatter this thing," she determined.

The only problem was that the crystallize power surrounded Hijikata too. If she did manage to break the barrier somehow, she needed to worry about the likelihood of him surviving the explosion.

She began to brainstorm.

Meanwhile, inside the glass dome things remained at an impasse.

"Chizuru is too much for you," Kazama continued to goad with each killing stroke. "She's worthless in the hands of a mere human, but priceless in my possession."

"I could care less," Hijikata rebounded with equal force, blocking each stoke with a parry. "She will never be yours."

Kazama attacked from the side, causing Hijikata to stagger.

"Is that a formality, Commander, or a sentiment?" The oni laughed. "I'm beginning to believe you harbor affection for her."

"What kind of samurai would I be if I let her slip into the hands of someone like you," Hijikata smirked. He had a burst of energy that allowed for an elegant counteroffensive flourish. Grasping at the teeth of Kazama's katana, the Mibu wolf cut viciously into the demon, causing Kazama to reel back in pain.

Assessing his body, he was disgusted to see a shallow flesh wound stain his kimono red at the forearm.

"I can't believe you cut me," he voiced aloud in vexation.

Hijikata was breathing hard and his face was taut from the pain in his shoulder. His wound continued to flow freely which was making him lightheaded with every passing minute. The edges of his peripheral vision began to blur. He was not prepared when Kazama returned at his side in a flash of motion. As the demon swung his sword, Hijikata blocked the attack but felt the steel cut into his torso.

He let out a pained breath.

"Hijikata-san! Hijikata-san!" He heard Chizuru scream through the crystal cupola.

"I am very curious to see what happens when I kill you, Demon Vice Commander," Kazama lilted, "Chizuru might finally realize that you are nothing but a mirage, an imposter, a fake."

The demon caught the ghastly stench of killing intent exuded from the lieutenant, as Hijikata clenched his sword with a growl. Dark shadows masked his face, but his lavender gaze fixated on Kazama through the black threads of his hair.

"So what if I am a fake?" Hijikata murmured quietly. "I've been a fake my entire life. I'm just a farmer trying to be a samurai. But my warrior spirit is _not_ an illusion. The goals and aspirations that guide me are _not_ a mirage. My understanding of honor and integrity is unquestionable, even to you, Kazama."

Slipping his hand into the folds of his plum haori, Hijikata withdrew a small parcel wrapped in silk. Watching from the other side of the crystal dome, Chizuru recognized it as the same parcel Sannan had given to him right before they left headquarters. Shaking the silk loose, Hijikata revealed a small glass vial.

"No!" She wailed in misery. "Hijikata-san, don't drink it!"

She was shouting at the top of her lungs, but the swordsman didn't seem to hear her.

Hijikata flicked the glass stopper with his thumb.

"If I am a fake in every sense but spirit, then why not take this illusion even further?" He rasped.

Hijikata threw his head back and swallowed the Ochimizu in one gulp.

Chizuru knew the instant the medicine was ingested; the madness would take over its host in a burning rage. She watched horrified as Hijikata's black mane turned a ghostly white, the lavender of his eyes turn ruby red, but instead of screaming in agony, the Rasetsu lieutenant sauntered toward Kazama in bone-chilling tranquility.

The demon watched his opponent with fascination.

"As if that will save you," he scoffed with a leer.

Hijikata moved with inhuman speed. Lurching forward, he surprised Kazama with a powerful attack that forced his feet to scrape deep into the dirt by the heels.

"What the matter, Kazama?" Hijikata drawled with a sinister grin. "Overwhelmed by the power of a fake?"

The oni snarled ferociously.

They engaged in another round of dangerous swordplay, but now death loomed behind every stroke as wolf and demon strove to vanquish each other once and for all.

Chizuru set to work on her plan immediately.

Studying the composition of the crystal dome, it wrapped around in a huge circle before curving into a glass ceiling way up high above the tree canopy. If she wished to disarm the stability of Kazama's chikara, she couldn't do it from above ground…but what about below?

Sinking to her knees, she pressed her ear against the earth and listened for the hum of demon power. Kazama's barrier caused slight tremors along the surface, but lost its intensity underground.

Her suspicions were proven true. It was a hemisphere.

This realization produced a burst of relief.

Taking a breath, she knew she needed to calm herself for what she was about to do. Taking a relaxed position on the grass, she crossed her legs and tried to drone out the sounds of metal ringing in her ears.

_Hold on, Hijikata_, she prayed, _I'll get you out of there._

Kazama _tsk_ed.

"I can't believe it," he said with incredulous golden eyes. "I've slipped into my demon form for the likes of _you_. Now I must truly kill you, oni-fukuchou."

The demon prince and Rasetsu wolf fought pale in the moonlight. Kazama shed all reservations as he pursued Hijikata in a relentless show of combat dexterity. The lieutenant took his advances head on, delivering quite a few flourishes of his own. Hijikata felt confident that he could dispatch this troublesome foe now that he exuded the power of a Rasetsu.

His body convulsed painfully.

Dodging one of Kazama's attacks, Hijikata took a knee to the ground as his whole body tremored. The power of the Ochimizu drug was fading from his skin, and he could feel the severity of his wounds once more.

He dropped a curse.

"It appears that our fight has come to its end," Kazama sighed, lifting his katana high into the air.

There was a deafening roar followed by an intense explosion. The walls of the crystal dome shattered on all sides, and the aftershock flattened both demon and lieutenant against the earth. The barrier groaned as the power molecules began to go berserk. Hot sparks bright as lightning traveled along the glass ceiling until the whole structure shattered and collapsed.

Hijikata felt a pair of small arms wrap around his body and caught the sweet perfume of lilies.

"I'm with you," Chizuru whispered in the shell of his ear.

Catastrophe rained down all around – sparks, shards, fire, splintered trees – but she held onto him fiercely, not daring to let go. The sound was drowned out in his ears by crushing silence. Deep cobalt flames began to consume his vision, but he stared deeply into a pair of copper eyes fringed in lashes. As he felt Chizuru's akuma no chikara blaze to life, his vision grew blurry.

"Chizuru…" He moaned.

Hijikata took once last breath before falling unconscious.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, you guys. We are now in the thick of things. Hang with me. We'll see how Chizuru gets them out of this mess.

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Kirin Hunt" - Ilan Eshkeri

Thank you so much for reading and leaving those wonderfully encouraging reviews. I appreciate it so much!

girliebird


	17. The Second Blood Seal

**Chapter Seventeen: **_**The Second Blood Seal**_

* * *

Chizuru began to feel the full extent of her exhaustion, as she watched countless trees blur in the darkness.

Eyes drooping mercilessly, it was all she could do to keep her bruised and battered body safe in the saddle as she traveled at a brisk canter. Navigating the black miyako through a set of thick bushes, she could hear the leaves rustle with early morning frost. The ground was cast in silver too, twisting and turning, as the charger roamed nimbly along the banks of a gushing stream. The roar filled her ears, serving to blot out the fears curling inside her mind.

She watched as a stream of vapor left her mouth.

_It's cold_, she thought numbly.

The heat of the fire had disappeared a long time ago. The raging inferno diminished into a single flame in the distance as she retreated deep into the forest. She had been so focused on escaping from the clutches of Kazama; she was just now beginning to feel the wintry chill seeping through her layers of silk and metal.

She kept a firm hand resting on Hijikata's back. His limp body was draped over her thighs, but he was alive and warm. She could feel a pulse, but it had slowed down considerably. She needed to stop and address his wounds soon, but she was afraid they were still being pursued by their enemies. She wanted to cover more ground just to be absolutely safe. Kazama, Kaoru, rebel ronin…they were all still out there somewhere looking for them.

Chizuru started to believe she had the worst luck in life, but her predicament had improved considerably the moment she discovered Hijikata's black charger pawing at the ground as it tried to free itself from a scraggily bush. It was a miracle she had even spotted him in the darkness. The horse had balked at her demon fire, sensing a dangerous predator approaching, but she was able to pacify it with a gentle touch before managing to hoist Hijikata onto its back. Freeing the horse's tangled reins, she hopped into the saddle and they sprinted from the fight.

Now under the cover of darkness, Chizuru grew weary.

She slowed the miyako to a walk, cooing softly, as she assessed their surroundings.

If she had to guess, they had been traveling for at least an hour. She couldn't say in which direction or how far – she had only been concerned with putting as much distance between them and the fire as possible. At the time, her plan had seemed so logical: Break the dome. Distract Kazama. Grab Hijikata. And run for it. _Now_, she was beginning to see the flaws to her plan. Not only had she severed all contact with the Recovery Division, she had abandoned Okita, Yamazaki and Inoue to the flaming chaos too. She might argue that by extricating Hijikata and herself away from the fight, Kazama had no further reason to engage, but a small inkling of doubt told her otherwise.

She had also acted on impulse. Streaming into the darkness, she kept her vision fixed straight ahead, not knowing if she was headed for more enemies in Satsuma territory. Yamazaki had mentioned that it was another day's journey to reach the hostile border, but she couldn't help but wonder if the creek she traveled along now was the same creek Hijikata had pointed to on the map several hours ago.

_How are you going to pull this off, Chizuru?_ She asked herself with growing exasperation. _Where will you go? What will you do?_

Hijikata gave a soft groan, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Hijikata?" She whispered urgently. "Hijikata, can you hear me?"

There was no response.

Biting her lip, Chizuru scanned the darkness. Her eyes searched for any semblance of shelter – a boulder, a tree, a cave, anything. The illusion she had created to shatter the crystal dome had depleted her chikara severely, so she would have to rely on nature for the time being. Bringing the miyako to a dead halt, she was surprised to find an old shrine tucked inside a cluster of hardwoods.

She frowned.

_I'm seeing things_, she thought as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. But no, her imagination wasn't playing tricks on her. She could see the outline of its sloping roof, its pale white talismans, and a simple archway. Upon further inspection, she discovered it to be quite dilapidated. It was missing some of its roof tiles and leaf litter piled outside the doors.

Drawing her chikara, Chizuru studied the building with her heightened senses, but she could discern no signs of life within. It was empty.

_Perfect_, she sighed in relief.

Slipping down from the saddle, she led the horse through the small archway and tethered it to the nearest hardwood. Rubbing its neck, she promised she would take it to the stream for a drink of water, but it seemed quite content where it was. Gently pulling Hijikata from the saddle, she braced his fall with a soft grunt – he was by no means light – and dragged him carefully into the shrine.

The inside was in total disarray: cracked floorboards, molding screens, and one terrifyingly old bronze statue. The air was cold and musty, but as Chizuru took stock of the shrine, she was relieved to find it completely desolate. Not a soul had stepped into it for years. They would be safe.

Chizuru lowered Hijikata against the altar place, careful to spare a respectful nod to the statue in the process. This shrine may be abandoned, but it didn't mean it was no less a shrine. The lieutenant's head rested against the bronze, elongating his neck and sharpening the edge of his jaw. Chizuru took a soft breath. It was the first time she had seen Hijikata in such a defenseless state. His eyes were closed, his brows drawn into a slight furrow, as he breathed laboriously.

Chizuru kneeled over him, letting the powder blue of her silk haori pool around her as she reached out to sweep the black hair from his face.

He was so beautiful.

When Chizuru had first met him that fateful night in the capitol, she had found him as exquisite as a katana. He was sharp and dangerous, polished and svelte. Hijikata held her captive in the alley and spoke with a soft, silken voice that promised to kill her if she ran. His killing intent was unclouded and true. It reached out to her like a pair of hands circling around her heart. The idea that such beauty and cruelty could coexist in such a powerful man had enthralled her.

Staring at him now, Chizuru stifled the grief blooming in her chest as she studied his hands. It wasn't that long ago that he had caressed her with these hands. He had held her, touched her, teased her…In the short time she had spent getting to know Hijikata, she had realized that her impression of him was misguided. Outwardly, he may seem cruel, but inwardly, he had an emotional depth that only continued to fascinate her. Underneath that stoic guise, he had a beating heart full of feeling and desire.

The palms of his hands were riddled with open sores where the hilt of his blade had seeped deep into the flesh. When Chizuru drew back the folds of his haori, a soft gasp escaped her lips when she found the harden shell of his chest plate marred with a noticeable slash. Kazama had sliced right through the metal. The place between his arm and shoulder was where the arrow had punctured skin. She could see the angry red stain on his plum haori.

Slipping into a state of efficiency, Chizuru retrieved the saddle bag from the horse and riffled through its contents until she came across a pack of bandages. Hijikata must have anticipated the worst; she also found a small bottle of alcohol and a pair of scissors. Laying these items on the floor, Chizuru pulled Okita's wakazashi from its scabbard and cut the rope bindings of Hijikata's chest plate. Freeing him of his armor, she reached out to loosen the folds of his haori to reveal a scandalous amount of flesh.

Heat pooled inside her cheeks at the sight of naked muscle, but Chizuru did not let it deter her as she kneeled between his legs. Ghosting fingers along the gash to his abdomen, she was relieved to see it was shallow for the most part. The chest plate had served its purpose in nullifying the pressure of Kazama's attack. When she assessed the arrow wound; however, her anxiety increased.

He must have pulled it out. The tissue around the laceration was torn and inflamed. It was showing signs of clotting already, but the amount of blood seeping from the open wound was nearly fatal. To have fought against Kazama for as long as he did…Chizuru was amazed.

She cut a few strips and drenched them in alcohol. Pressing these gently to the wounds, Hijikata took a sharp breath. The burning sensation from the alcohol must have jostled him awake. When she glanced up, she found a pair of attentive lavender eyes watching her.

"Hijikata," she whispered.

He didn't respond at first. His eyes dilated as he adjusted to the darkness of the shrine. Glancing around the space, he found his surroundings rather confusing.

"Where are we?" He finally asked in a smoky voice.

"We're someplace safe," she responded feebly. "I pulled us out of the explosion just in time. This old shrine is perfect for us to hide in."

Hijikata shifted from his place on the floor, drawing a leg so that it bent at the knee and leaning forward into Chizuru.

"We need to go back." He said, but the movement caused his lip to curl in pain.

Chizuru laid her hand flat on his chest and forced him to rest against the statue once more.

"We're going nowhere." She stated. "You're badly hurt. I need to dress your wounds."

"My men-"

"Okita is with the Recovery Division now. He will know what to do in our absence," she interjected as she resumed cleaning his wounds. She was striving for clinical calm now that he was conscious, but it was still difficult to breathe as she remained inseparably close. "Seeing as Kaoru and Kazama are after me, and Kazama is so eager to kill you, I think our momentary disappearance is for the best."

She could feel the weight of his gaze as he watched her gentle ministrations.

Setting the soiled cloths aside, she cut several strips of bandages and began to wrap them around his torso. But when she reached for the other end of the cloth strip, he stopped her. Catching her hand in his, he searched her intently, trying to read the mix of emotions clouding her vision.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked. There was an unusual edge to his voice that rested outside of platonic concern. It rang with something akin to possessiveness. Returning his look, Chizuru's frustration began to bottle deep inside her as she recalled Kazama's threat.

_Don't think for a moment that I won't dismantle everything that ties you to these pathetic humans just because you know a few tricks. I will._

"No, not physically," she said, but her wounded expression contradicted her.

Injured and exhausted, Hijikata didn't have it in him to resume evasive tact. Cupping a hand to Chizuru's cheek, he murmured, "Kazama threatened you. I heard what he said."

"You did?" Chizuru replied. The heat of his touch surprised her.

Hijikata held her gaze.

"He thinks he has figured out your weakness. He threatens to kill the Shinsengumi, to kill me, because he knows you will do everything in your power to stop him," he whispered, his expression grim. "This whole thing is a diversion to make you _want_ to go to him."

"I would never-"

"Chizuru, no matter what he attempts to do to the Shinsengumi, you need to understand that you are not a burden." He declared. "You want to fight to protect the ones you love. I understand that more than you know. The desire to rush into danger for the sake of someone else is honorable."

"Then why dissuade me at every turn?" She asked.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" He inquired curiously. His eyes narrowed and his lips curved upwards into a discerning look. He locked gazes with her, willing to wait until understanding filtered through her brown eyes. Chizuru blinked, opening and closing her mouth, before his sentiment finally dawned on her.

"Oh."

Heat flushed her face, and for a moment, she thought she was trapped in the fire again. Pulling back slightly, she averted her gaze. But Hijikata wouldn't allow her to become shy. Taking the hand that cupped her cheek, he combed fingers through her hair only to settle at the base of her neck. Drawing her in, he whispered, "If I have to fight Kazama a thousand times, I will fight Kazama a thousand times. I will fight all of your enemies if it means I can protect you."

That heat was in his voice again, only urgent and demanding this time.

"Hijikata…" She breathed.

They were a pair of magnets, drawn to each other by inarticulate forces beyond their understanding. Hijikata felt compelled to cradle her head in his hands, framing her delicate face which now hovered just inches from his. Chizuru buckled under his touch, her eyes becoming demure as she parted her lips with a shaky breath. Her heart swelled in her chest with need.

"Did you see where they went?"

"Yeah, they went this way. I'm sure of it."

Voices filtered through the holes of the temple doors, startling them both.

Chizuru jolted with fear.

Hijikata growled with anger.

"We've been followed," she murmured with a sharp hiss.

Hijikata grabbed his sword, but the weight caused him to wince with pain.

"No, you can't fight like this," she argued, but he placed a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Oi, look there! It's their horse."

"Where?"

"Over there, you idiot." The first voice snarled. "I'll bet you five gold inchibubans they're inside the shrine."

"You don't have five gold inchibubans, Gorou."

"I will once we kill the Demon Vice Commander. That will make Yuu happy - two Mibu wolves for the price of one, eh Koji?"

Hijikata unsheathed his sword slowly and trained his focus on the outside of the shrine. Glancing back to Chizuru, he found her ready with her own sword. Her chikara had flared to life too.

"We'll hide in here," she whispered. "When they come in, I will distract them."

Hijikata nodded.

There was nothing they could do about the miyako. The two ronin soldiers cut him free of his tethering and shouted at the horse until it took off into the night. Robbed of their transportation, the rebels felt bold enough to wander up to the shrine.

"Thought you could run away from us, oni-fukuchou?" Gorou rang out in a sing-song voice. "Why don't you be a proper man and come out and fight."

"Come play with us, demon." Koji chimed in menacingly.

They drew the doors aside, letting fresh moonlight spill across the warped floorboards. The bronze statue glimmered in the ethereal light, displaying a female deity with flowing hair and fish scales. But as Gorou and Koji took stock of the room with their blades held at the ready, they were surprised to find no sign of the Shinsengumi soldiers.

"How can this be?" Gorou grunted, spitting onto the floor of the shrine.

"They couldn't have run off…suppose they're still hiding?" Suggested Koji.

"Well why don't you look, idiot?"

Hijikata and Chizuru stood on either side of the statue with their blades held at the ready. Chizuru focused her attention on the demon mirage. Holding an image of the empty shrine in her mind's eye, she clothed them under Akuma Shinkirō, making them invisible to the coarse ronin. They watched as the pair stepped cautiously into the shrine, checking the shadows and using their swords as shields in case of a surprise attack. Chizuru's heart began to hammer in her chest as they approached the altar.

Gorou peered at the statue with a scowl, and Chizuru could see the depravity in his gaze.

She could offer no mercy - just the promise of a quick, clean death.

Clenching her sword in her hands, she peered at Hijikata and he gave her a small nod.

Releasing the illusion, they jumped off the dais and rushed the two unsuspecting ronin. Hijikata cut down Koji with a stab to the heart, while Chizuru placed Gorou under intense Hex Gaze before plunging her own blade into the ronin's stomach. The feel of metal slicing through flesh frightened her, but Gorou only slumped to the floor. She didn't have time to pull her blade from his body. Something lunged at her from the side, throwing her up against the wall of the shrine. Choking back a cry, she wondered wildly if Hijikata had failed to kill the other ronin, but when she looked up, she was disturbed to find a blood red gaze boring into her skull.

"Hijikata, no," she gasped painfully.

The lieutenant had slipped into the Rasetsu madness just as Sannan had at the first sight of blood. The life fluid pouring form the slain ronin created a heady fragrance in the air that drove Hijikata mad with blood lust. His consciousness was eclipsed by an animalistic rage, as he pressed her against the wall.

Pinning her with his arm, he raised the katana with his other, aiming for her body.

Chizuru acted purely on instinct.

Reaching out to touch both sides of his face, she fixed him with her brown gaze determined to appeal to the soul underneath the Rasetsu hunger. Pulling a tender smile on her lips, she ignored her fear and spoke in a soft, tender voice.

"Hijikata, please don't do this. Please don't hurt me," she pleaded gently. "It's me, Chizuru. Remember? I'm right here in front of you."

The Rasetsu lieutenant's face contorted with madness and his breathing was hoarse. He increased the pressure of his hold, making her body ache. She wasn't getting through to him, she realized. Swallowing deeply, she tried again.

"Hijikata, you can't kill me because…because _I love you_," she declared openly. Tears began to collect in her eyes, making it difficult for her to see, but his red gaze was still trained on her face. "I love you so much. I know you would never hurt me, so please don't do it now. Come back to me."

Hijikata was regarding her with unbridled hatred, teeth flashing in a feral grin. The only thing that seemed to motivate him at that precise moment was the thought of spilling her blood in that shrine. The blood lust of the Rasetsu was one of the Ochimizu's most disastrous effects. It robbed the person of their free will and transformed them into a pure killing machine. Thoughtless, emotionless, directionless…Chizuru knew she was pitted against all odds. Hijikata held his sword just an inch away from her stomach, and he would cut through her metal dou just as easily as Kazama had cut through his.

Chizuru took a breath.

Pulling his face to hers in a desperate attempt to break his hunger, she sealed his mouth with a kiss that burned with every fiber of her being. Laced in chikara, it sparked against his lips like a shock. His blood gaze faltered for a moment, the hatred morphing into confusion, and she felt the pressure of his vice lessen fractionally.

Then she saw it. A glimmer of recognition.

Hijikata pulled back, letting her slip against the wall. He issued a frustrated growl as he backed away from her inelegantly. Dropping the katana with a solid thud, he braced himself against the opposite wall and wrapped his arms around his torso, trying to fight off the madness.

Chizuru took a step forward, causing him to snarl.

"Stay back," he hissed.

It was too much for him. The blood pooling on the floorboards continued to provoke his murderous cravings, but he was intensely aware of Chizuru's presence. The shock of her lips drove him crazy, but in a completely different way. Battling the forces inside, Hijikata took a deep, staggering breath before he finally collapsed to the floor. It was the pain of his wounds that finally grounded him to reality.

"Hijikata!" Chizuru cried as she flew to his side.

The Rasetsu glamour faded from his body, leaving a weakened swordsman in its place.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" he croaked.

His eyes were no longer lucid. They rolled back into his skull as he fell under a state of delirium. Chizuru watched as his rasping breaths became sporadic. The clotted wounds had ripped open and he was bleeding profusely.

Tears stained her face as she came to a devastating conclusion.

Hijikata was _dying_.

The swordsman was slipping into the dark void before her very eyes.

She knelt before him.

"No! I will not let you die," she wailed furiously. "This is not the end!"

Bringing her chikara to its fullest shine, she let it radiate around her body as an intense aura. Unlike the raw cobalt flames, this aura was under her complete control as she compelled it to wrap around Hijikata. The intensity of the chikara ripped at their silk garments, tore at their hair, and tingled against their skin. Pouring all of her intent into the blue haze, Chizuru took hold of his katana and ran the edge deep into her arm.

_There is one other type of blood seal a demon can perform_, Senhime's voice echoed in her mind. _But it can only be performed once in a single lifetime. Unlike the blood seal performed on a demon sword, this seal is performed on a living person. But be warned. It is the single deadliest contract a demon can pledge. Once bound to another, the bond becomes irreversible._

Chikara swirled around her small body and wrapped itself around the dying lieutenant.

Poised above him, she initiated the ritual.

"I, Chizuru Yukimura, hereby bind myself to you, Toshizo Hijikata," she recited resolutely, "Let my power be you power, let my life be your life, let my pulse be your pulse. I seal this contact by my own consent and relinquish all freedom. I am yours."

Bringing her lips to her wound, she filled her mouth with blood and found it sizzling with chikara.

Hijikata was barely holding on now. He loomed on the precipice of life and death.

Lifting his face, Chizuru performed the fatal blood kiss that would forge the bond.

The enchantment came to fruition.

Just as a portion of her power was severed to be forever embedded in _Tsundora_, Chizuru felt the uncomfortable rip in her power as a portion of it embedded itself into Hijikata. Her heart palpated painfully in her chest as it tugged against her ribcage. The aura formulated into a blue current that looped around the two of them like a binding thread. A thousand intricate lines traveled from Chizuru's body and into Hijikata's just like Suzuka Gozen's illustration.

She marveled at the sheer beauty of the Blood Seal as it continued to intertwine her with Hijikata.

She watched as the gash on his abdomen resealed itself. The laceration in his shoulder began to mend until it _too_ was smooth and unblemished. The deathly look to Hijikata was erased by a vigorous flush of color, and his breath was no longer sporadic or raspy. The blue lines intercepting his body traveled through the skin like veins until they concentrated at the place right above his heart.

The Blood Seal emblazed his chest like a decorative brand, and she watched it flicker a vivid blue.

The contract was finished.

Chizuru and Hijikata were one.

The powerful surge of energy dissipated into their bodies before Chizuru was able to lean forward and check his vitals. Pressing her ear to his chest, she was relieved to hear the steady flow of his heart. She knew his body would take some time adjusting to the foreign chikara now lacing his blood, but she knew he would survive.

The Blood Seal vanished into his skin, leaving not a trace.

It took her a moment to collect her bearings.

Splitting her power in two was an astounding experience, but an experience that left her feeling fragile and nauseated. The pain at her temples had ceased from the sudden deflation of power, but Chizuru still felt exhaustion plaguing her mind.

She couldn't surrender to her fatigue though. Not yet.

"Hijikata, we have to go now, okay?" She urged him gently. "It's no longer safe here. We have to leave."

Hijikata did not answer. His face was twitching as if he was dreaming, but the content of the dream seemed ominous.

Hating herself, repulsed by what she was about to do, Chizuru forced his eyelids open so that he fell under her Hex Gaze.

"It's alright, Hijikata," she murmured in a honeyed voice. "We are going for a quick stroll. The moon is so pretty tonight. Won't you take a walk with me?"

"I'm so tired…" lamented Hijikata in response. His eyes were cloudy and dark.

"I know. That's why we need to walk. We need a burst of energy," she goaded him gently.

Grabbing onto his haori with shaky hands, she helped him onto his feet. Hijikata was reluctant to move, but he followed her obediently.

"We've got to take our swords with us too," she said as she retrieved their weapons. She paused over Gorou's corpse, unwilling to touch Okita's wakazashi since it was still entrenched in human flesh. Shielding her eyes with the back of her hand, she grabbed onto the hilt and shuddered as she extracted the blade.

Chizuru tried not to dwell on the bodies too much as she led Hijikata out of the shrine. His steps were mechanical and stiff under her enchantment, but it was the only way for her to get them to safety.

"Once we find a safe place, we can rest," she assured him. "If we're lucky, we might even find something good to eat."

They walked through the forest for some time. Light began to creep in the distance – the first signs of sunrise. Chizuru held onto Hijikata's hand as she steered them through the morning frost, all the while chatting about nonsensical things to keep him distracted under her spell. But as they continued to walk, Chizuru felt the strength quickly leaving her body. The Blood Seal had robbed her of over half her remaining chikara and she was tempting fate by employing Hex Gaze. At this rate, she would burn up everything she had.

Hijikata braced a hand against a tree.

"I can't go much further, Chizuru," he sighed.

She felt wobbly on her feet too.

"Let's rest here then," she said, taking a seat next to him under the tree.

Curling beside Hijikata to provide warmth, she laid her head on his chest and found comfort in the rhythmic beating of his heart. Her eyes were so heavy; she would fall asleep instantly. Hijikata was already breathing deep in slumber.

"Chizu."

She snapped her eyes open.

_Oh for the love of gods_…she cried inwardly. _When will this nightmare ever end?_

Pulling herself from Hijikata's inviting embrace, she stood tall and faced her brother.

"Kaoru," she intoned. "I should have known you would be following me."

Her twin stood between two colossal ferns. His cheeks were red from the cold, but he was staring at her with some manner of grief.

"I'm always with you," he murmured. "I want to protect you."

Chizuru glared at him in disbelief.

"If that were true, you wouldn't have taken my sword," she criticized.

"I can give it back to you, if that is what you want," he assured her gently. "But it would require coming with me first. Koudou wishes to speak with you."

"I am not going with you, Kaoru. I already told you I have a duty to fulfill."

Chizuru studied her brother carefully. He was being unpretentious for the moment, but she had seen how quickly he could morph into something dangerous. Peering at his silhouette, she was pleased to see _Tsundora_ strapped to his side.

"You have a duty to your family too, Chizuru." Kaoru continued to coax. "Koudou has something very important in mind for you."

"And what would that be - another round of brainwashing?" She laughed bitterly. "I don't think so."

Kaoru let out a breath, his expression sad but a smile still touching his lips.

"You have to understand that our Yukimura legacy is not complete without you. Koudou had built us a new family and he wants you to take your rightful place as Head of the Clan," said Kaoru. "It's a huge honor."

The sound of synchronized footsteps caught her attention, and she backed away like a cornered animal.

"What's going on?" She asked with a hunted expression.

Several swordsmen dressed in simple samurai uniforms with straw hats stepped into the hollow in single line formation. They each carried double swords and had their predatory gazes trained on Chizuru.

Gooseflesh crawled down her spine as she took in their red eyes glinting in the shadows like coals.

Rasetsu…How on earth was Kaoru in the company of so many Rasetsu?

_Isn't it obvious?_ Okita's voice whispered in her ear. _Koudou's plotting something that involves you._

Chizuru grew pale.

"I thought it would be good for you to meet some of your new clansmen," Kaoru extended with a cordial gesture of his hands. "Koudou has been perfecting the Ochimizu medicine. These Rasetsu are to take part in a very important plan that requires you as the leader, Chizuru."

"Koudou is making Rasetsu?" She repeated fretfully. "So that's his grand scheme."

Her brother nodded.

"They can travel by day and wield the strength of a demon by night," he said with a proud smile. "They are trained to follow orders only from a Yukimura. It is our wish that _you_ lead them in the coming war against the humans."

This news disturbed her.

"Kaoru, you are speaking of domination," she hedged cautiously. "The Demon Code forbids us to subjugate humans. It's strictly forbidden."

Kaoru's face twisted with a mix of amusement and fury.

"Don't lecture me on the code, Chizuru." He said, clenching his hands into fists. "Abstaining from human conflict is what ripped our family apart in the first place."

Chizuru was growing nervous. Her brother was emanating a dangerous aura.

"When our parents refused to get involved in human politics, our clan was decimated. Oni society has done _nothing_ to exact justice on behalf of one of its royal bloodlines. Our family has yet to be avenged." He explained. "Does that not upset you?"

Kaoru was speaking out of anguish and frustration. Bringing all of this to light must be difficult for him, and Chizuru felt a small tinge of pity for her twin brother. To live his entire life knowing the injustice incurred to his love ones while she was under demon amnesia could not have been easy on Kaoru.

Trying to quell her fear of the wraithlike Rasetsu circling the hollow, she appealed to her brother's grief.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry. I am so sorry that you have had to shoulder this burden by yourself." She said with a tired sigh. "But this can't be the only way to rebuild the Yukimura Clan. Think about what Koudou is doing to these innocent people. He's turning them into monsters that are only capable of killing. This path will only lead to heartache."

Instead of pacifying the oni, her words further unsettled him.

"So you won't come with me." He stated plainly.

Chizuru shook her head.

"I will not agree to this scheme of yours." She countered. "It's morally wrong."

The disposition of her twin was shifting fast, as he became blinded by disappointment.

Pooling what little chikara she had left into her feet, she prepared for the worst.

Kaoru tilted his head with disdain.

"I had such high hopes for you, Chizuru…I thought once you got your memory back, everything could go back to the way it was. But now I am beginning to see that my faith has been greatly misplaced." He vented, his words progressively dropping in tone.

Her brother began to pace, his fists still swinging loosely at his sides. "How can you expect me to welcome you back as a sister when you refuse to fight for your family?"

Chizuru glanced behind her shoulder to make sure that Hijikata was alright. She had a feeling things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Her brother continued to vent aloud.

"Maybe this was never meant to work out," he murmured with frantic zeal, "Maybe you were never really supposed to be a part of the plan…perhaps…perhaps it's _my_ destiny to take over as Head of the Yukimura Clan."

His face lit up with the prospect, but then it dimmed once more.

Squinting at her caustically, he murmured, "Koudou shouldn't need you if he has me. _I_ have the celestial swords_, I_ have the power of a pure blood,_ I_ have control of the Rasetsu…he doesn't technically need you per se. He only favors you over me because you're female, but I have far more power. It would be so easy to eliminate you and take your place."

He let the threat drift in the early morning frost chilling Chizuru's bones.

It was time to act.

Chizuru flash stepped from her place in the hollow. Appearing at Kaoru's side, she blind-sighted him with a blaze of cobalt crystal, freeing her wakazashi from his sash. Returning to Hijikata with the full fluidity of a pure blood, she drew her wakazashi and brought it to life.

_Tsundora_ roared in a burst of blue fire, zapping angrily through her body as it realigned their connection.

_Where the hell have you been?_ It chastised her. _Don't ever let go of me again, you hear me? I'm __**your**__ sword, not his. This guy is nasty piece of work. _

_Tsundora_ burned with malevolence, but she could discern its overwhelming concern.

_I'm sorry._ She thought with a breath of respite.

It felt so wonderful to have her sword back in her possession.

Poising for an attack, she fixed Kaoru with a stark expression.

"Don't you dare threaten me," she barked. "We are brother and sister. I acknowledge that, but I will not play a part in Koudou's plan and I will _never_ condone the practice of turning humans into Rasetsu. If you are set on this path, Kaoru, then I will hold no objections in stopping you."

"Then try," He growled in open fury. To the army of wraiths, he screamed, "KILL HER!"

Chizuru conjured a barrier around Hijikata. It wasn't much. It was very small and barely gave him enough room to breathe, but she enforced the shield tenfold before engaging in the first line of attacks from the Rasetsu. Brandishing the power of _Tsundora_, she fell into a systematic set of blocks before cutting them down one by one. She lost herself to the prowess of the sword, letting her body contort and ripple as she battled several wraiths at once.

From his place against the tree, Hijikata felt a strange sensation travel through him and forced his eyes open. He found himself staring into the impenetrable barrier of Chizuru's Akuma Shirudō. It sparkled and shined like Kazama's glass dome, but had intricate lines engraved in the surface. Peering through the glass, he caught sight of a pale blur. A young woman with white blond hair was holding a flaming sword as she battled shadows with smoldering red eyes.

_Is this a dream?_ He wondered vaguely.

The warm vibrancy continued to travel through his body and he couldn't be sure if it was adrenaline or something else. All he could discern was the young woman's infallible grace as she flourished her sword, killing the enemies in her wake. She moved like a white phantom in the dark.

From her place in the hollow, Chizuru was panting. Her vision began to swim and she was losing chikara alarmingly fast. _Tsundora_ remained firm and strong in her grasp, but she was losing touch with reality. Seven Rasetsu fell to her sword, but there were still more lurking in the shadows. Kaoru had retreated into the darkness, leaving her to her impending doom.

Seven more wraiths stepped into the fading moonlight.

_This is it. Your chikara is all burned up._ She thought desperately.

Stabbing a Rasetsu through the heart, she swiped her sword clean of blood before retreating back to Hijikata.

She had survived the fire, Kazama, rebel ronin, Hijikata's blood lust, Kaoru…but it seemed that evading these Rasetsu would not make it on her roster. Only a small tremor remained of her power, and she was dismayed to see the barrier flicker out of existence, leaving Hijikata exposed.

Escape was no longer possible.

Collapsing by his side, she could see his eyes wide awake and alert. He was regarding her with silent wonder as she took her place before him.

"Hijikata, I think this is the end for us," she said unevenly.

Hijikata took in her golden eyes, the alabaster skin of her face, the snowy white tresses…

_Is this what a demon truly looks like?_ He mused absentmindedly.

She was lovely, even though her face was haunted by anguish. She threw her arms around him, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. The action stirred a memory from his mind, but he was too spellbound to think properly. Hijikata responded to her touch by pulling her close so that their bodies melded into one. The closer she was, the stronger the feelings coursing through his body became. His heart beat in tune to hers.

Chizuru felt that this was a fitting death. Held in the arms of the person she loved…what could be a more fitting way to leave this world?

Just as the Rasetsu drew close enough to draw their swords, a crystal sphere bounced into the hollow, bursting into a deafening roar.

The wraiths staggered backwards from the explosion.

Amidst the flare of sparks, several shinobi warriors appeared in the clearing, cutting down the Rasetsu.

One shinobi in particular had familiar dark hair and magenta eyes that flashed with vivacious cunning. She raced past the others holding two blades in her hands, as the silks of her uniform billowed in the wind. Coiling in the center of five wraiths, she used both blades simultaneously to demolish the demon imposters.

A familiar chikara signature blossomed in the hollow, and Chizuru's eyes filled with metal scales.

"We've got you, Chizuru." Senhime smiled, placing a reassuring hand on her back. Peering at Hijikata, she murmured, "Prepare yourself. You are about to be spirited away."

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, the kiss of life! I have been looking _so_ forward to writing this specific chapter. So much happens in this part of the story, and it's all jumbled together - I hope you ladies are alright with that. Chizuru managed to get her sword back, but now she's bonded herself to Hijikata. (_gasp!_) What does this mean for our two heroes?

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Flight" – Ka (Chizuru's flight through the forest)

"Mika and Kai" – Ilan Eshkeri (Chizuru assesses Hijikata's wounds)

"Assano Seppuku" – Ilan Eshkeri (Chizuru performs the Second Blood Seal)

"Statues" – Alexandre Desplat (Chizuru fights Rasetsu/ Senhime rescue)

Thank you so much for reading and those amazing reviews, you angel faces. Another chapter on its way!

girliebird


	18. The Seventh Gate: Blood Ritual

**Chapter Eighteen: **_**The Seventh Gate: Blood Ritual**_

* * *

Yamazaki coughed, trying to dispel the smoke swirling deep in his lungs. The heat from the fire had seared the inside of his throat making it raw, but he couldn't let it hinder him from issuing orders. Reining his horse to an abrupt stop, he could hear the soldiers behind him following suit. The sounds of blowing nostrils and pawing hooves filled his ears, mirroring his own fatigue.

He took a deep breath.

"Can I get a quick sound off?" He bellowed through the darkness.

The small band of soldiers that had managed to escape with him sounded off one by one until he realized he had half the division in his company.

"Stand down," he commanded, "But stay alert. Be ready to move in a moment's notice."

"Hai, taichou," came the unanimous reply.

Scanning the shadows, he could see no sign of the fire now. He had led his party into the forest, but he kept them parallel to the road so as to prevent getting turned around. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, making him hypersensitive, but the aching of his body was of a different nature from his usual espionage escapades. Instead of cramped muscles and a sore back, he was suffering from a collection of shallow flesh wounds from fighting.

Twelve ronin had fallen victim to his sword before he was able to carry out Hijikata's orders. Leaving Inoue in the camp to carry out his fallback position, the Shinsengumi spy gathered what men he could before racing out of the flames. He had witnessed the oni-fukuchou take off on his own horse with Chizuru in tow, but he had soon lost track of the pair amidst the commotion. When a sudden explosion erupted just outside camp, he lost sight of the trickster swordsman too…

Yamazaki deliberated over his current predicament.

The Recovery Division had been torn apart.

If Hijikata had raced on ahead, then Yamazaki couldn't be that far behind the lieutenant. But the Shinsengumi spy couldn't press onwards without knowing the fate of the remaining warriors left behind in combat. How could they hope to carry out their directive without the military expertise of Inoue and Okita?

Yamazaki knew he needed to act soon. Sitting idle like this would only attract more enemies. For Kondou and Hijikata's sake, he _had_ to keep moving. Raising his hand to signal his party, he paused when his horse lifted its head in alarm.

"Men, at the ready!" He warned as he caught the sounds of approaching hooves.

His soldiers unsheathed their swords, ready to engage.

"Who's there?" He shouted into the darkness.

"Inoue of the Shinsengumi," a familiar voice yelled in response.

Yamazaki felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"At ease, men," he ordered.

The soldiers relaxed, happy to receive their lost comrades.

Inoue and four soldiers raced into the vicinity on horseback. They were heavily covered in gore – one soldier had his arm tucked into his haori – but they were otherwise hale and hearty. Yamazaki was pleased to see they had managed to escape despite being left behind as gridlock.

"Yamazaki-kun," the swordsman greeted in a raspy, thick voice. "_Kami_, am I glad to see you."

"Likewise, Inoue-san," he responded with a nod. "You were able to escape combat. Did you have much difficulty?"

"Oshiro took a nasty cut to his shoulder, but he'll live." Inoue reported with a glance at the wounded soldier. "Okita turned Rasetsu and held the rebels off so we could make our escape. Two soldiers volunteered to stay with him."

The worry was clearly etched in the swordsman's face as he sighed with exhaustion. "I don't know if they were able to make it out alive or not. There were still quite a few ronin in the encampment when we left. Some of them fled after the explosion."

Yamazaki reached into his saddlebag and pulled out his water skin. Taking a deep, quenching gulp to extinguish the fire in his throat, he offered it to Inoue. The swordsman took it gratefully.

"Inoue-san, you didn't happen to see the source of the eruption, did you?" Yamazaki asked. "Did the ronin have explosives of any kind?"

Inoue shook his head.

"No. The explosion came out of nowhere." He said. "I didn't see it, but I _felt_ it. The earth tremored so strongly, I almost lost my footing."

Yamazaki agreed with him on that sentiment. The explosion _had_ come out of nowhere.

He knew the rebel force had used fire as a means of camouflage so that they could pin down the Recovery Division with arrows. The tactic had certainly worked in creating chaos and confusion at the beginning, but the Shinsengumi had fought in worse conditions, giving them the experience they needed to respond to such a situation. Thankfully, the casualties had been minimal.

Once steel began clashing through the night, the arrows ceased and the blood spilled freely. It wasn't until _after_ the Shinsengumi engaged in the rebel faction that the explosion occurred. It had sounded off in the distance like an enormous brass gong, rebounding through the forest with a powerful impact.

The horses had spooked in terror making it twice as difficult for Yamazaki and his recruits to escape.

The Shinsengumi spy sighed.

A rebellion siege with explosives could only mean massive ruin.

"Where are Hijikata and Yukimura?" Inoue asked, glancing at their haggard group.

A ripple of unease traveled through the soldiers as the absence of their commanding officer weighed on their consciousness.

"I believe they are a little ways ahead of us," Yamazaki answered him, hoping to bolster everyone's morale. In a lower, quieter tone intended only for Inoue, he added, "At least, I hope they are."

The swordsman nodded.

"Our oni-fukuchou is strong. I'm not worried…_yet_." He murmured in faint trepidation. "What should we do about Okita?"

"Don't worry, I'm here," came a silken voice.

Yamazaki and Inoue tensed.

They could see Okita was no longer pale with red eyes, but his face was no less sinister as he trotted behind the last two soldiers of their group. Bringing their horses to a halt, the soldiers parted to make way for the trickster swordsman as he approached the two officers.

"And look what I've brought you," Okita smiled, a dangerous glint in his emerald eyes. "A present."

Unloading a heavy mass from the back of his saddle, Okita's horse shied away in fright as the dark lump cried out. Yamazaki and Inoue leaned forward, trying to make sense of the warped shadow lying on the ground before they realized it was a swordsman bound in ropes. The ronin's arms were tied behind his back in the ridiculously complicated loops of Okita's favorite knot.

Unable to brace his fall, the ronin fell from the saddle and landed face first onto the hardened ground.

Yamazaki grimaced as he heard the sound of a broken nose.

The ronin screamed in agony.

The trickster swordsman slipped out of his saddle in liquid grace and unsheathed his katana, causing the captive to squirm in fear.

"Please don't hurt me! Please!" He sputtered wildly in distress. "I didn't do anything to you! Please, _please_ let me go!"

"Quiet you," Okita hissed as he took slow, predatory strides toward the ronin. "Don't be so eager to be rid of us after all the trouble you went through to capture our undivided attention. Now that you have it, why don't you accommodate us by telling us everything you know about the assassination plot of our Head Commander, Kondou Isami?"

"Please…please, I'm begging you…"

Okita rested the point of his blade on the ronin's heels.

"Start talking or I start chopping," he warned, voice light and threatening.

Yamazaki and Inoue grew uneasy.

It was common knowledge that Okita Souji had a natural inclination for blood lust. This fact was further propagated whenever Kondou's wellbeing was in jeopardy. The trickster swordsman had a possessive streak in regard to the Head Commander. Yamazaki and Inoue were not blind to his dangerous antics. They knew what things unhinged the mischief-maker, pulling him beyond his teasing and jesting. But now that he was a Rasetsu on top of everything else…they suspected that it only served to augment the issue further.

However, Yamazaki had to remember that Okita was a military genius too. Aside from his bouts of brutality, the First Division Captain had a clear, intelligent mind for strategy. The fact that Okita was able to abstain from the Rasetsu madness long enough to ensnare a living hostage and return their missing soldiers displayed an advanced ability to scheme in the midst of primal carnage.

Okita lifted his menacing gaze to the Shinsengumi spy, seeking substantiation for what he was about to do. Yamazaki abhorred torture, but in this present moment, the means justified the end - with the assistance of the ronin, they would be able to locate Kondou.

Nudging his horse forward, the Shinsengumi spy dropped a cold gaze on the bleeding hostage.

"You heard the captain," he intoned darkly. "Start talking."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Hijikata felt as if he were at the bottom of the ocean. Sinking into the murky depths, his body cratered under the pressure of a thousand leagues of water. The air was squeezed tight from his lungs and it was an intensely unpleasant sensation. He felt his body convulsed in defiance, trying to offset his suffocation, but the more he tried to escape, the more and more the pressure compounded, increasing his torture.

He continued to sink.

Peering through half-lidded eyes, he watched the water rush past him and noticed the current slowly turn a deep crimson. It billowed towards the surface like drops of ink in a water bowl, but the consistency of it was thick and milky. Studying the elusive stain, his eyes widened in horror as he quickly realized it was blood. Lots of blood. _Thick_ _rivets_ of blood effusing from the ocean depths and swirling around him like the tentacles of a cephalopod.

Hijikata choked.

It was all around him now, filling his mouth, his eyes, his ears. The current continued to pull him under, drawing him closer to the hearth of blood lust, and it was all he could do to fight against the undertow. Anger and hatred swelled within his chest. Poisonous bile filled his throat. A piercing shriek escaped his lips as he began to fade into the madness of a Rasetsu – a state of utter desire that could only be quenched by the forbidden taste of bloodshed.

Hijikata knew he was drowning now. He was drowning in the damnation of a blood wraith. But just as his feet touched the bottom of this hellish oblivion, Hijikata saw his redemption penetrate the gloom as thick rays of sunlight. The cobalt beams struck the blood beast, ripping its hold of the swordsman and alleviating the pressure that was dragging him under. He was momentarily blinded as a beam struck him right through the chest. But instead of penetrating through his heart, it wrapped around the tissue like a warm vice, spreading heat through his body.

He found the warmth familiar and inviting. It caressed his skin like soft fingertips, leaving a trail of fire behind. He could smell the sweet perfume of crushed lilies, a floral oasis in this conglomeration of gore. His heart began to pulse in tandem with the light.

Something snatched his wrist pulling him toward the surface.

_Come back_, a soft voice summoned him urgently, _come back to me._

It rushed through his ears like a gust of cold wind, igniting the fire in his chest.

Suddenly…he could breathe. He could move. Bust most importantly, he could _see_.

Staring straight through the dark void, Hijikata threw his head back and saw the surface rippling with daylight. His destination was right before him. All he needed to do was compel his body to free itself of the blood. Treading water with as much zeal as a person desiring to live, Hijikata strained, holding onto the fire burning in his chest until he finally breeched the surface.

He took a giant gasp for air. Eyes fluttering open, he fought against extreme vertigo as the dark shapes hovering before his face finally sharpened into focus.

Two faces hovered above him.

"You're awake," Kimigiku blinked.

"You're _alive_," Senhime gushed.

They were both peering at him with open astonishment.

Hijikata realized he was sprawled on his back atop a cot facing a canvas ceiling. He realized he was in a standard-issue tent erected by posts with a grass floor. The kunoichi and oni sat on either side of him, hunching over his vulnerable form. Instinctually, he tried to move, but he was alarmed by how weak his body felt.

Evidently, the exhaustion from his dream had followed him into the material world.

"Easy, easy," Senhime urged, placing an arm around his shoulders for support. "Human bodies are not equipped to handle raw chikara, but you've been exposed to more than what's good for you."

Hijikata sat up just as a sour moan escaped his lips.

"Where am I?" He asked dimly. "Where did you two come from?"

He tried to lift a hand to brace the headache pounding behind his left eye, but his sleeve was caught by something. Frowning, he dropped his gaze to see what was holding his wrist prisoner and discovered a sleeping Chizuru nestled against his side with a hand clutching his sleeve.

Her head was tucked into the folds of her arm, cheek swelling and making her lips pucker. She breathed deeply with her almond hair spilling across her face. The tresses shielded her dark lashes from view. She seemed peaceful. As he let his gaze rove over her body; however, he saw that she was still dressed in her armor with the Shinsengumi shroud Kondou had given her, but the powder blue silk was blemished with an alarming number of blood stains.

Hijikata snapped out of his daze.

"Chizuru," he breathed, shifting in the tight space so that he could sweep the bangs out of her face. He pressed his hand to the warm skin of her neck checking her pulse. It was beating rapidly. Her skin felt unusually warm, he thought, and her eyes danced behind her lids feverishly.

Cutting his gaze to the kunoichi and the demoness, he asked, "What happened to her?"

He could hear the accusatory tone in his own voice.

Frowning, Senhime lifted her hands.

"It's alright, Hijikata-san." She said. "Chizuru is going to be just fine. From the looks of it, she nearly depleted her chikara reserves again. Her body has forced her into a deep sleep, but other than that, there is no bodily harm done to her. She just needs to recuperate."

"How long has she been asleep?" He asked.

"She passed out a little while ago," Kimigiku assured him. "It took us a while to convince her to rest, but even in sleep, she refuses to let go of you."

The kunoichi was right. He could see the tension of her white knuckles where she clutched onto the hem of his uniform. For having such small, delicate hands, Chizuru had a surprisingly strong grip.

He couldn't free himself.

"As for your other question," the demoness continued in her calm voice, "we have set up camp along the Nori Creek. We're about ten miles east of the Satsuma border."

She must have read the concern in his eyes for she hastily added, "I know you are anxious to regroup with your officers, but the situation is too dangerous for you to return just yet."

His thoughts had flown immediately to the soldiers left behind in the fire, and he grew restless. He needed to get back to his division. The success of Kondou's rescue weighed solely on his shoulders.

He opened his mouth to protest, but he was cut off by the kunoichi.

"You have time to rest," Kimigiku urged him. "My people are currently tracking the whereabouts of your division. Once they return with a report, we will help you find them."

"How did you even find _us_?" He asked.

Their presence had been unforeseen.

Senhime crouched low and placed a hand on Chizuru's dou. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath before returning her attention to Hijikata.

"Chizuru's armor has a protective charm embedded into the metal. It's designed to flare up whenever the person wearing it is in danger. Because it's of Gozen origin, I was able to sense the enchantment when it flared a few hours ago. I could pinpoint your location." She explained. Her eyes were sharp, but unreadable as she assessed him. "When we found you, Hijikata-san, you were surrounded by a nest of Rasetsu just outside the Satsuma border. The two of you were barely hanging on by a thread."

"What happened out there?" Kimigiku asked him severely.

He lowered his gaze.

Truthfully, his memory at the moment was as flummoxed as a scattering of sakura petals. The images rushing through his mind were both fantastical and strange, making it difficult for him to distinguish fantasy from reality. He would have to start with the present facts.

"We were attacked…" He began slowly, brow furrowing in thought. "Rebel forces – they broke into our camp and launched a guerilla assault. We tried to escape. There were soldiers and horses everywhere, but the rebels set fire to the encampment…and then…Kazama appeared."

His tactical mind began realigning the scattered fragments into sequential order, and Hijikata was relieved that his state of utter confusion had not robbed him of his military expertise.

Anger seeped to the forefront of his mind as it all came rushing back to him.

Kazama.

He had been blinded by rage when he found Kazama pinning Chizuru with his katana, holding her captive as he planned to kiss her. The demon's brazen arrogance had been Hijikata's ultimate undoing as he ripped the arrow from his shoulder and sauntered through the burning inferno thirsting for vengeance. He ignored the agony of his wound as he engaged the blond menace in a duel, fighting the demon with every fiber of his being. He knew Chizuru had pleaded from outside the crystal dome, trying to catch his attention, but he was already filled with the overwhelming desire to vanquish her enemy once and for all.

Nevertheless, the moment that Hijikata felt Kazama's blade cut through his chest plate, the lieutenant's consciousness began to fade as quickly as the blood seeping from his wounds. His situation had grown dire - and at their going rate - he knew he couldn't last much longer. Consuming the Ochimizu drug had been an act of sheer desperation. He hadn't been thinking clearly – the only thought racing through his mind was his inevitable demise and the subsequent need to take Kazama down with him. At least that way, Chizuru would be free of the villain tormenting her endlessly. She could go on living without the threat of Kazama lurking in her shadow.

Besides, Hijikata would be _damned_ if he let the demon have her.

The agony of his flesh wounds had intermixed with the scorching power of his Rasetsu madness as he fought against Kazama in unbridled blood lust. In the outpour of animosity, Kazama slipped into his true form, forced to combat against Hijikata's inhuman strength. For a moment, Hijikata had him. Kazama's placidity faltered with traces of doubt, and Hijikata _knew_ he had him. But just as the tables turned, the madness retreated from his vision, and he was once more blinded by pain.

He had never felt so furious in his entire life.

Kazama raised his katana for the killing blow and Hijikata was willing to let the stroke end his life so long as he could plunge his own sword into the demon's heart. Fake or no fake, he was determined to show Kazama the veracity of his personal will. But the katana never made its mark. An explosion blasted through the crystal dome, shattering it to pieces and the deafening roar pounded them both into the ground.

He remembered the feel of Chizuru's arms as she held on to him tight.

_I'm with you_, she had whispered.

He didn't know how she managed to break Kazama's barrier, but she _did_. Somehow, she had found a way through the demon's trap and brought the whole structure smashing to the ground. Hijikata would have died from the impact of the crystal shards raining down around him if it wasn't for the sudden appearance of her cobalt flames.

The memory of it still amazed him. To think that she had that much power…it was intoxicating.

"Chizuru pulled me away from the fight." He said, but his memory became somewhat illusive when it came to the details. He must have lost consciousness at that point. The only thing he remembered beyond the fire was waking up in the old temple.

"We were able to escape Kazama, but we were followed by two ronin who were aware of my identity. They waited until we took refuge in a shrine to apprehend us." He continued.

As his mind wandered through the shadows and moonlight of that shrine, he remembered the calm determination in Chizuru's eyes, the warmth of her touch as she pressed him against the statue willfully. In his state of growing delirium, he had reached out to her. He wanted to soothe the terror emanating from her trembling body. He wanted to tell her that fighting Kazama for her sake was worthwhile in every respect. He was willing to show her precisely _why_ he was so driven to protect her, but their close interlude had ended the moment the ronin showed up.

A silver flash appeared behind his eyes, causing Hijikata to stagger from the piercing mallet in his skull. His pain was quickly followed by the fleeting images of blood pooling on the floorboards, dead ronin, and a deep, crimson haze…

The air in his lungs escaped as he covered his face with his hand.

He remembered now.

"I turned Rasetsu on her…" he breathed in horror. "When I killed the ronin, the blood…I couldn't stop myself…"

"You turned yourself _Rasetsu_?!" Kimigiku blurted.

Understanding flickered in Senhime's eyes.

"And how did she stop you?" She asked.

The demoness was regarding him with an oblique expression.

He suspected she was withholding crucial insight over his present quandary, and the thought irked him.

Scowling at the oni, Hijikata rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and found his lips surprisingly tender. The sensation helped trigger his memory, and he was able to recall a particularly shocking kiss that had bruised his mouth. It had crackled and sparked against his skin, shattering the dark shadow of his soul just as Chizuru had shattered Kazama's barrier.

The memory of it intrigued him.

"She brought me back," he stated, dropping his lucid gaze to the sleeping girl.

Kimigiku pursed her lips.

"And the Rasetsu in the hollow?" She asked. "The Shinsengumi hasn't made any recent decisions to create a wraith army…has it?"

"An army?" He drawled with growing vexation. "How many were there?"

"We're talking about a whole _legion_ of them." Senhime clarified with a flourish of her hands. "What was the body count again, Kimi-chan?"

"Forty." The kunoichi answered, but her lips spread into a satisfied grin. "Well, forty _dead_ Rasetsu now."

Hijikata was at a loss for words.

"Our Rasetsu Unit is but a handful." He said after a moment. "They take their orders directly from Sannan, and he has been charged with defending Shinsengumi headquarters from the rebellion. Any wraiths you saw last night where rogues."

Kimigiku and Senhime shared a grave look.

"Then this indicates that someone _else_ is using the Ochimizu drug," supposed the kunoichi.

Hijikata's thoughts flew straight to the western doctor, Koudou Yukimura. But there were other viable suspects too. Itou Kashitarou was aware of their secret operation. He could have informants placed within the Shinsengumi just as Hijikata had placed Hajime in the Mausoleum's Guard. It wouldn't surprise him if that were the case. There was also Kazama Chikage and his demon companions. But Senhime spoke of another distressing possibility.

"Chizuru mentioned a Kaoru Nagumo," she said. "When we rescued you, she was very distressed. She kept mentioning a plot of some sort and how everything was connected. Do you know what she might be talking about?"

This was a topic he could willingly expound upon.

Hijikata related Kaoru's confession and how Chizuru was forcibly led to believe that the western doctor was her father. The enchantment had concealed all memory of her tragic past, but due to her awakened powers, it was finally beginning to weaken. Kaoru had offered to take her to Koudou, alluding to the fact that he was collaborating with the doctor.

This news troubled the oni and kunoichi.

"I see…so those Rasetsu are linked to Chizuru's kin." Senhime concluded.

She leaned her back against the post of the tent, letting herself slump in defeat.

"Kami," she breathed. Massaging her forehead with closed eyes, she grumbled, "And we thought _Kazama_ was bad. This is considerably much worse. How could things have gotten so out of hand so quickly? Not only are we facing the threat of a coup d'état by blood furies – endangering the whole of Japan– but Itou Kashitarou's rebellion to overthrow the Bakufu, _and_ the fact that Chizuru has just declared you her pairbond."

Senhime threw her hands up in despair.

"Things couldn't possibly get any worse."

"Careful, milady," Kimigiku warned her. "Let's not tempt fate."

"Why not? I say let's just get this all out in the open." She argued sarcastically. "Let's throw in a world apocalypse to make things truly exciting."

Her bitter complaining was lost on the oni-fukuchou.

"_Pairbond_?" He mouthed barely above a whisper. "What do you mean by _pairbond_?"

Senhime continued rubbing her forehead with an arm crossed over her chest, but she ceased her kneading at the tone of his voice. Peering at him through the cracks of her fingers, her eyes gleamed in quiet assessment.

"Chizuru healed your wounds, Hijikata-san," she revealed, "but she did much more than that. She brought you back from the verge of _death_. To save the life of another – of a human, especially – is one of the most dangerous, complex spells a demon can perform. It requires a sacrifice unparalleled in this world."

Hijikata's restiveness subsided, but only because Senhime was looking at him with such reluctance.

"A…sacrifice…" He repeated. "What sacrifice?"

Senhime took a moment to regain her composure, but it was evident that something bad was weighing on her mind. Sharing a brief look of unspoken communication with her kunoichi, the demoness straightened her posture with another sigh.

"Hijikata-san, it is not common practice to share demon knowledge with humans, but given our current dilemma I feel that it is crucial that I impart you with some now." She began solemnly, placing her hands on her thighs. "Before I left Shinsengumi headquarters, my final lesson with Chizuru was Akuma no Keiyaku, the Seventh Gate of the Demon Arts.

Through Akuma no Keiyaku, a demon learns how to use their blood in order to make contracts. We call these blood rituals. It's the same principle behind your dangerous elixir. Akuma no chikara is transferrable through our blood, allowing us to extend spells beyond ourselves – like Chizuru's metal dou." She gestured by way of example. "Blood rituals vary in degree of importance, but they all require a blood sacrifice.

A Blood Seal; however, is drastically different from a Blood Ritual. Rituals require blood, but seals require _chikara_. Once a demon sacrifices their chikara, they lose that power forever. In order to save your life, Hijikata-san…Chizuru performed a Blood Seal."

The smooth skin of Hijikata's brow wrinkled, as he began to understand the cause behind Senhime's distress.

"The Second Blood Seal is the most illustrious covenant a demon can initiate. It is so singular in nature; it can never be repeated or reversed. It is a life-binding contract reserved only for a demon's Tamashī no hanryo."

"A demon's soul mate." Kimigiku clarified.

Hijikata tapered his eyes cautiously at the kunoichi.

"When a Blood Seal is made between two demons, their chikara merges together creating an everlasting bond. The combined chikara coexists harmonious between the two individuals formulating a bilateral relationship," Senhime elaborated, threading her fingers together. "But when a Blood Seal is made between a demon and a human…well, it is very different."

She pulled her hands apart, letting them drop into her lap.

"What happens?" He pressed. Her silence was perpetuating his growing suspense.

Senhime leaned forward against her thighs, pinning him with a heavy look.

"During the ritual, the demon imbues the human with chikara, consequently diminishing half of their inherent power. Because the human cannot reciprocate, the bond becomes one-sided, placing the demon and human in a precarious situation." She explained. "Chizuru is a pureblood which makes her power extremely refined. Due to its concentration, it makes her chikara highly toxic for humans. The fact that you turned yourself Rasetsu before she performed the Blood Seal explains how you were able to survive the transfusion of power."

Hijikata was instantly brought back to his dream, and he began to understand that what he had experience was something much more than a perceptual delusion. Recollecting the dark nature of the nightmare, he quickly interpreted it with new meaning. The blood bath - that had been the Rasetsu power trying to take control over his body. The ephemeral beams of light – that could very well have been Chizuru's chikara forcing back the infection. Little did he realize that his clamoring for the surface had been the deciding factor in his survival…

When he returned Senhime's grave expression, she pursed her lips.

"And what does this mean for Chizuru?" He asked.

They both glanced at the sleeping girl who continued to cling to his sleeve.

Chizuru took a soft breath, nuzzling her face into the crook of her arm.

"Her life is connected to yours now." Senhime murmured. "Together, you two remain strong. Separated, you two become weak. And if you should die, Hijikata-san…a part of her will die too."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sorry about the slight delay in updates. I adopted a five week old kitten this week which has done _wonders_ in my ability to concentrate on this story. (Haha, not!) But never fear. This thing is still hopping and alive – just like kitten Cuchúlan!

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Obliviate" – Alexandre Desplat

Thank you so much for reading and believing in this story! I love you all.

Another chapter is in the works.

girliebird


	19. The Resistance

**Chapter Nineteen: **_**The Resistance**_

* * *

It was with a great mixture of agitation and confusion that Hijikata leaned against a wooden spoke near the tent entrance, listening to Chizuru breath softly as a maelstrom raged inside him. Casting his gaze over her supple figure lying on the cot, he was pleased to see that the red stains of her haori had been scrubbed clean. Senhime and Kimigiku had taken the arduous task of stripping the girl of her chest plate and arm guards, setting them against the lining of the tent. They left her leg armor and sandals in place, but took time to wash the Shinsengumi shroud before placing it over her like a blanket. Her wakazashi also lay attentively at her side, and Hijikata found it peculiar that Chizuru kept a hand on the scabbard even in her sleep.

Rolling his shoulders, he felt uncomfortable in his own black haori.

The kunoichi had swapped it for his plum-colored one; it had been soaked with too much blood and torn in too many places to be salvaged. Kimigiku took it from him with a wrinkled nose, tossing it into the campfire before she returned from the shinobi supply cart holding a garment box stamped with a silver crest. Catching sight of the Gozen family seal, Hijikata glowered as he accepted the package.

The thought of wearing anything that belonged to the demoness made him contentious by default, but he wasn't in a position to decline the vestment. Taking it reluctantly, he followed the kunoichi to an adjoining tent where he was able to wash the blood and grime from his body.

"How soon can we expect to hear from your people?" He had asked her before she stepped out to give him privacy.

"My rangers will send word as soon as they locate your division." She had answered. "With us being this close to the border, we can catch them at a moment's notice. Now go wash up, oni-fukuchou. You smell like a slaughterhouse."

Hijikata bestowed her with a baleful look, but made no further comment.

He did not like this. He did not like this _at all_. Being separated from his division and kept at the mercy of the demoness and kunoichi – of all people – was fanning the flames of his anger. He had grown so accustomed to being at the top in chain of command; standing idle and ignorant like this disagreed with his authoritative nature entirely. He wanted to believe that his increasing restiveness was due to his obligation to regroup with his men, but the niggling dread in his subconscious told him it had very little to do with the division and everything to do with the sleeping girl held captive under his gaze.

Hijikata combed fingers through his hair pensively before crossing his arms with a sigh.

Pairbond.

He had never heard of such a thing.

Senhime had not been very forthcoming in deflating his confusion after she practically accused him of becoming an endangerment to Chizuru. She had made it perfectly clear that the enchantment preserving his life had come at a terrible cost. Chizuru was bound to him in such a way that any impairment that befell him consequently befell her too. Furthermore, it could never be undone. It was permanent thing. A Life-binding contract. Those were her exact words.

But what did it mean?

More specifically, what did it mean for he and Chizuru?

Hijikata was a clever man. He knew that their relationship as guardian and ward could no longer exist in any platonic sense. Being the pairbond of a demon was equivalent to being a mate which blurred the boundary between them completely. He was no longer just a warrior and she was no longer just a girl. Using this classic schema as an excuse to keep his desires in check had been a nominal effort at best. He knew his behavior with Chizuru had grown outside guardianship a long time ago, but adhering to their simple affiliation had been the only conducive way in keeping his desires somewhat confined.

Hijikata was a pragmatist. He preferred things that way: structured, organized, prescribed… Every soldier had his responsibilities and every leader had his expectations. It was this systematic approach that had led him to compose the Five Articles of the Shinsengumi. Though some speculators might argue that his rules were borderline inhumane, they were essential in maintaining the dignity of a warrior. Rules equated discipline and discipline equated fortitude and so on and so forth…With protocol to follow, there was very little he could do to stray from the path he walked as a samurai.

It was a practical philosophy. Any matters that fell outside the system, Hijikata simply ignored.

This method of self-preservation was common in the militia. Every seasoned warrior knew that falling in love with a woman complicated _everything_. There was no safe haven; no clear path a man could walk when he carried a torch for another. For this very reason, Hijikata had suppressed his feelings for Chizuru. They were still there, living and breathing inside of him like an unattended fire, but as he tried to squelch the flames, his need to resist her grew fainter and fainter until the fire became something he could no longer control.

Hijikata clenched his jaw, letting his eyes roam freely over her slim legs.

Chizuru was a wisp of a girl - young and naïve. Her barefaced innocence was more of a nuisance than Hijikata cared to confess. Protecting her from an entire encampment of soldiers _and_ Rasetsu _and_ demons was a daunting task further complicated by her reckless compulsion. It was not enough for her to remain behind compound walls as a docile ward of the Shinsengumi. _Oh no_. Underneath Chizuru's nativity, he had discovered a passionate, spirited young woman. Her sense of obligation inspired her to become a much larger part of his encampment than Hijikata was comfortable allowing. But he had a newfound taste for tolerance, didn't he?

Much to his frustration, Hijikata knew he swayed on the edges of his conviction wherever Chizuru was concerned. He began bending rules he vowed never to bend, he began making exceptions he vowed never to make - all because he decided to spare her life on that snowy, moonlit night. How could he, the Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, devil among men, have known that a single stroke of mercy would rebound with such powerful consequences?

The realization sent a wave of nausea through his stomach and Hijikata leaned his head against the post in defeat.

Even with all his gifts, he had been blind to his own weakness.

An image of Chizuru in red lipstick and a coral kimono drifted through his mind unbidden. She walked through his thoughts slow and silky, floral perfume trailing behind her and maddening his senses. The clarity of her copper gaze piercing through cobalt flames still seized him, and the sweet melody of her voice still echoed in his ears. When Hijikata had reached out to her in that spare bedroom, drawing her close, he remembered anticipating how those red lips might taste…

The memory elicited a dark growl from the oni-fukuchou.

_All this time you've been clinging to a paradigm, striving to protect her from harm and in the end…__**you**__ were her greatest threat._

Hijikata's chest tightened in anger, his thoughts threatening to overwhelm him.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Chizuru fidgeted in her sleep, unwilling to relinquish the tranquility that had settled over her sore and somnolent body. The distortion in her memory had ceased its agitations, and the resulting endorphin rush freed her from the perpetuating pain at her temples. For the first time in a long time, she felt warm and lazy. Her muscles were elastic in their state of relaxation. When she stretched, the sensation produced a soft, sweet moan, as she sighed.

She felt rejuvenated.

The shriveled blossom of her akuma no chikara began to flourish once more at the place beneath her ribcage, throbbing in cadence to her heart. With her power restored, she realized that everything became so clear, so pure, so sharp and certain.

Lingering in the shade of her subconscious, Chizuru felt complete.

But a peculiar stirring prickled her skin. It braised her senses, tugging her from the tepid peace. Her serenity gave way to a mounting pressure that started from her neck and continued to spread from her shoulders to her stomach, making her feel heavy and agitated.

Chizuru woke and found she was still splayed on the bed where Senhime and Kimigiku had left her. Trailing drowsy eyes along the spokes of the tent ceiling, she took in the sunlight threading through the canvas material and wondered if its rosy color indicated a sunrise or a sunset.

The pressure in her chest intensified.

Chizuru shot up in reaction, creating a powerful head rush. Blinking back the darkness from her vision, she rubbed her sternum gently. The pressure had morphed into a searing pain that emanated directly from her ribcage. Glancing around anxiously, her gaze interlocked with twin pools of lavender frost, stilling the air in her lungs.

Hijikata stood as a looming shadow near the tent entrance, somewhat foreboding with his arms tucked into sleeves of black silk. The monochrome palette of his attire further accentuated the severity of his expression, but Chizuru was momentarily distracted with the success of her enchantment to be effected by the piercing weight of his gaze.

Happiness, clear and crisp as a winter blue sky, erased the vestiges of her exhaustion as she soaked in the warm flush of his complexion, the restored strength in his body, and the conscious clarity of his eyes.

She was amazed.

The Blood Seal had completely restored him.

Slipping from underneath her powder blue shroud, Chizuru placed her feet on the ground and approached him.

"You're alright." She said, voice colored by wonder. Her lips spread into a smile that made Hijikata's insides twist in discomfort. Her movements were exceptionally fluid for one just waking up from deep sleep, but she was animated by intense vigor. He remained standing where he was, frozen in place, but her cheerful nearness seemed to only further exasperated him.

"Thank goodness. I was so worried." She sighed. "How do you feel? Do you feel…strange?"

She continued to examine him with amazement.

"Senhime said it would take time for you to recover, but she didn't say if you would feel different or not. I wanted to stay up and make sure you were alright, but she told me that if I rested, you would feel better, so I'm glad to see that she was right after all. I just didn't expect you to be so…so…" Her words halted as she considered his dark expression. "So angry."

Her brow creased.

"Hijikata, what's wrong?" She asked him, growing instantly serious. "You look like you are ready to kill someone."

The muscles in his jaw moved with tension.

"How very perceptive of you," he replied.

He watched Chizuru flinch from the cold malice in his tone and found that he preferred her this way.

Something about her happiness enraged him. The way her face lit up with that characteristically blithe smile of hers tugged at the places of his heart he was currently trying to sever. It enraged him so much; he found himself unable to control his temper. Dropping his hands to his sides, he straightened his spine to his fullest stature so that he towered over her.

"You seem surprised by this." He commented, taking a step forward. "What were you expecting, Chizuru? Sentimentality? Affection? A grateful kiss and a pledge of devotion?"

His words _swoosh_ed like a katana, slicing through her bliss.

Chizuru hesitated.

Had she missed something? Hijikata's morose behavior had her thoroughly baffled. Chizuru had anticipated many different scenarios upon waking up from their near-death experience – confusion, relief, urgency. But she had _not_ anticipated the dangerous aura that swirled around the oni-fukuchou as he moved towards her with grace akin to flowing silk. There was malevolence in his fluidity, and that subtle touch of danger was enough to force Chizuru to retreat.

Vague amusement flickered in his eyes.

"Hn…so you _are_ still afraid of me," he simpered. "Good."

_No, not good._ She thought.

"What's wrong?" She asked, taking a clumsy step backwards. "Why are you acting like this?"

Hijikata's eyes slivered.

"If I had known the true extent of your feelings, Chizuru, I would have never behaved so familiar with you. I blame myself in this matter. I let you get too close."

"Too close?" She repeated in disbelief.

Instinct urged her to pick up _Tsundora_ from the bed, but she quickly suppressed the thought. This was ridiculous. This was Hijikata she was facing, not some demon or Rasetsu. Although…as she thought about it, they were all one in the same thing now. Hijikata had Ochimizu running through his veins along with her akuma no chikara. Senhime had warned her that such a combination could prove deadly to the lieutenant, but Chizuru had only been concerned with his survival, not thinking about how he might be altered. Chizuru wondered. Was this the result of her enchantment?

With no experience to go by, she couldn't be sure.

Hijikata sauntered towards her, beautiful and cruel, and she could not repress the fear mounting in the pit of her stomach. Chizuru moved back to give him space, hoping the distance would be enough to dissolve the tension in the air, but her withdrawal only impelled him forward.

"You think you know me," he stated in his usual inexpressive manner, "You think you know me so well, but the truth is that you've placed trust in a false perception."

Chizuru blinked.

"I don't understand what you're saying," she confessed. Her foot caught on the edge of the cot making her stumble.

Hijikata observed her scuffle with a shadowy frown.

"You have grown comfortable in my presence, and in doing so, you have forgotten that I am a dangerous man," he elaborated for her sake. "My existence is tied to a few morals, but they do little to cover the fact that I am a murderer. I have killed in cold-blood. I have slain more men than I care to keep track of anymore."

His words were slow and deliberate, ghosting her skin like winter frost.

Chizuru hit the wall of the tent and braced herself there, staring at Hijikata with the keenness of an animal about to become wolf prey. He took his time closing the distance between them, dropping his face so as to stare at her through obsidian black of his mane.

"That night I found you in the alley, I could have killed you just as easily as any other victim that has ever fallen to my sword." He continued in that chilling voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. "It would have been easy. It would have been clean. Your body would have been left in the snow with the others. Forgotten."

Chizuru froze as he lifted a hand stiff with tension. She could almost _feel_ the grasp of his fist on the lapel of her haori, even going so far as to shut her eyes to prepare herself. But the vice never came. Instead, Hijikata trailed soft fingertips down the exposed plane of her throat, the silken action sending shivers down her spine.

Chizuru was in a state of utter flux.

"Last night, I came close to killing you again." He whispered. But this time his words were vague and contemplative. He was no longer focused on her, but on the turmoil still raging inside him. Sensing his struggle, Chizuru peeked through her lashes and found his face marred by visible traces of pain.

Hijikata drew a breath, pulling his hand away from her throat.

"Don't you see? You let your guard down for someone who has almost killed you more than once. This is the man you've tied yourself to, Chizuru." He intoned. "A most inappropriate pairbond, wouldn't you agree?"

Ah.

Now she understood.

Hijikata wasn't angry…not _really_…he was distressed. The remorse in his expression communicated more than his words would ever reveal.

Chizuru held his gaze.

"Senhime told you about the Blood Seal," she presumed, cringing inwardly.

His expression grew dim.

"Bonding yourself to me was a mistake."

His words injured her, cutting deep below skin and bone.

It took her a moment to fully grasp what he was insinuating. A mistake? She certainly didn't see it that way. A miracle, yes, but not a mistake. It wasn't every day that you possessed the power to bring someone back from the edge of mortality. If he had only known that she had taken pure theory and successfully performed the contract saving his life, he would understand how extraordinary it was. There were no mistakes, only gains.

Chizuru's intuition spoke.

Hijikata _never_ treated her with such open hostility unless there was a perfectly good reason. To be bringing up the night in the alley – telling her how easy it would have been to dispose of her – it completely negated every tender sentiment he had ever bestowed upon her in recent past. Chizuru may not know him in his entirety (as he claimed), but she had grown perceptive enough to detect whenever his threats were hollow.

Gathering her courage, she stepped away from the wall.

"Last night, you said you would fight all of my enemies if it meant you could protect me," she argued, causing him to grimace. "Are you telling me that was just a ruse?"

"My duty is to protect you."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Careful, Chizuru." He warned her. "You are testing my patience."

Chizuru frowned.

She knew this was her cue to back down. Challenging Hijikata, her commanding officer and benefactor, was a blatant show of disrespect, not to mention insubordination. Her place was to obey rather than challenge. But she refused to back down now. She knew he was attempting to push her away and she would not allow it.

"Hijikata, I made the contract to save your life." She said, commending herself for having a steady tone. "If you have such an…such an aversion to being my pairbond, I understand. I won't hold you to any obligations."

An exasperated laugh escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Aversion?" He mouthed. "You think I speak out of aversion?"

Hijikata turned his face away, boring holes into the canvas tent instead. The way his eyes moved, Chizuru wondered if he were searching for something threaded in the coarse material. She could see the muscles of his neck coiling and uncoiling. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he was lost in some sort of inner struggle. Whatever it was that tortured him, Chizuru could do nothing more than hold her breath.

When Hijikata returned his attention to her, she steadied herself for another caustic attack.

But the lieutenant was unpredictable.

He dropped his gaze, letting his lavender orbs travel languidly across her body.

"Aversion has nothing to do with the way I feel about you." He amended softly.

She forgot how to breathe. Underneath the anger and pain, she caught the telltale festering gleam in his eyes, and saw a trace of the Hijikata she had spoken with in the shrine. In his state of delirium, he had reached out to her with a hunger and desperation quite different from a Rasetsu. She could see it trying to break through his façade now, heat sifting through his frigid gaze.

Chizuru swallowed.

"If this is how you feel, then why are you trying to push me away?" She asked.

Hijikata crossed his arms once more, resuming his authoritative stance.

"My responsibility as a Vice Commander puts me at the forefront of all conflict. I will always be the one rushing into war. I will always be tempting fate. Death is inevitable for a samurai."

"I am aware of this."

Hijikata bit down on his tongue, trying hard to regulate his anger.

"You realize that this fate now extends to _you_." He resonated. "When I die, you are destined for a half-life."

"Yes."

He dropped his stance.

"Chizuru, you deserve better than this." He argued. "You deserve a normal life, somewhere safe and secure. This path is not what I had hoped for you."

Chizuru eyed him carefully.

"A normal life," she mused.

Her mind summarized everything that had happened to her since setting foot in the capitol: getting chased by ronin, attacked by blood wraiths, captured by wolves, and hunted by demons …Chizuru had to stop and realize that that was only the _beginning_ of her elaborate saga. Quickly after forming an alliance with the Shinsengumi, she found out about her pureblood status, learned the Seven Gates of the Demon Arts, and uncovered a dangerous Yukimura vendetta that placed the whole of Japan in peril.

Chizuru lived in a world obscure.

"Normalcy is a figment of the past," she murmured with a faint smile. "I could never have a normal life, because…well, I'm not a normal woman anymore. I am a demon now."

_And it's time for you to see._

In a febrile burst of bravery, Chizuru slipped into her akuma no sukin, letting Hijikata see her pureblood features for the first time. The transformation was as seamless as batting her eyes. One moment she was a brown-eyed girl with rosy pink skin. The next, she was an ivory oni with white blond tresses and orbs of shimmering gold. She stood before him completely naked and exposed. No illusions, no disguises…just her.

But standing in her true form, Chizuru felt powerful.

Demon glamour erased her dull human senses and replaced them with those of a natural predator. Everything from the hypersensitivity of her skin to the acute sharpness of her sight altered her perception completely. The world around her became so _clear_ through her golden eyes. She could track the specks of sunlight seeping through the tent, the interwoven bands of hemp, the wood grain of the spokes...everything had a definitive edge that she could trace like the sand grooves of a garden.

Training her gaze on the oni-fukuchou, she could see flecks of deep indigo near his pupils. She could see the pulse of his neck and the shifting shadows of his face as he absorbed her pale markings in silent awe.

But that wasn't all.

Birdsong rushed through her ears, along with it the gushing of a babbling brook, the crackling of a fire, the scraping of blades against stones…she could even hear Senhime venting from the opposite side of camp, the rustling of her scaled tunic tickling her ears. Hijikata's heartbeat thrummed through the tent like a battle drum, loud and steady.

When Chizuru inhaled through her nose, she tasted cool winter rain with base notes of sweet bergamot and lavender. The flavor coated her tongue like a powerful draught of sake, and she was instantly brought back to the night Hijikata taught her how to meditate.

_Interesting_, she thought.

The aroma swirled around the oni-fukuchou, a mouthwatering temptation in her wake.

As an oni, Chizuru found him even _more_ appealing (if such a thing were possible).

Another fragrance filled her nose; however, causing her to recoil – faint, but discernible. It was a syrupy smell, full of metal and heat. Chizuru gazed at the shroud still lying on the bed. Even though its stains had been scrubbed clean, a trace of blood still lingered in the silk. Her face contorted with slight repugnance.

The smell brought her back to hollow instantly.

"I am more accustomed to blood and death that you think I am." She murmured with a troubled gaze. "My honor is no less blood stained than yours. I killed that ronin in the clearing; I killed another in the shrine. I killed eight Rasetsu in the hollow just before my strength gave out. There was no room for thinking; I was completely lost in the slaughter, acting on sheer instinct. I'm capable of incredible violence too."

She held her hands out to examine them as if they were still coated in blood, the memory of it unsettling her. But she quickly ignored her trauma, closing her hands into fists that fell loosely at her sides.

"So don't try to threaten me into questioning my decision in performing the Blood Seal. It won't work. My conscious is clear." She told him stubbornly. "I think the only inappropriate thing about this situation is that you are venting your frustration with Senhime on me. You've succeeded in frightening me if that was your goal."

Her words broke the lieutenant of his momentary trance.

"Good. Fear is a reasonable emotion to feel in this situation." He replied argumentatively. "It comforts me to know that you have _some_ survival instincts. You're always so quick to rush into things with no regard for yourself. You can be so irresponsible."

Chizuru huffed. "Oh, I'm irresponsible! What about you?"

She took a step toward him, bold and brazen, as she dared to jab a finger into his chest.

"Who fought against Kazama when their sword arm was injured?" She demanded with fire in her golden eyes. "Who turned themselves into Rasetsu? Who deterred any offer of assistance when it was offered again and again? Hijikata, for someone who seems so self-assured to lay judgment on others, you have a reckless streak of your own."

Hijikata caught her hand, curling fingers around the offending digit she had used to prod him unmercifully. Yanking her close, he gripped her upper arms. Shock filled his system in reaction to her blatant defiance, and the breech in conduct needed to be rectified immediately. Never had anyone so willfully criticize his behavior as Chizuru did now. The oni-fukuchou found it an unpleasant experience. Anger traveled through his body like a bolt of lightning.

"And I wonder who is to blame for that." He fumed.

Chizuru rebelled. Clasping the collar of his haori, she pulled him even closer with strength he didn't know she possessed. The motion caused him to stagger.

"I swear, I will fight you." She openly declared. "I will fight you at every turn until I can break you of this –"

Hijikata crushed his lips over hers; quickly swallowing whatever words of challenge came tumbling from that infuriatingly attractive mouth. The culmination of their quarrel found expression in the powerful shock that rippled between them. Chizuru's lips were fiery and hot as she responded to his advancement, seemingly undeterred by his actions.

He wondered if all her kisses burned with such intensity.

She had the power to break him of his Rasetsu thirst. And in this moment, she had the power to break him of his enduring torment. Euphoria sweeter than anything he had ever experienced in his life filled the cavity of his chest so succinctly, he berate himself for not surrendering to her allure _sooner_.

Succumbing to his desire, Hijikata's chest rumbled with a primal growl as he snaked an arm around her waist. Drawing her close against him, he let his other hand wander into the soft tresses of her white hair, resting his palm on the ridge of her cheekbone. Chizuru angled her face upwards, allowing him full admittance to the rosebud of her mouth as she stood on her tippy toes.

The perfume of her hair wafted under his nose, a floral heaven if there was ever such a thing. It jostled his senses, stirring him to life as he tasted the sweet flavor of her skin. Chizuru melted against his body, her tension quickly disappearing, and he was glad that her warmth was unobstructed by the metal dou.

Their contact was desperate. Chizuru responded with as much fervor as Hijikata, thoroughly surprising him. But despite the urgency, there was a perceptible harmony in their movements. A rhythm traveled between them, linking them in perfect synchronization. As he moved his lips against hers, she responded in natural similarity. Their kiss was one of utter perfection.

It sent the oni-fukuchou reeling in his mind.

When they finally drew apart, it was not for a lack of want. Despite the presence of demon power, oxygen was still required of them both. Hijikata was the first to draw breath.

"You troublesome, impudent woman." He rasped against her cheek. "Why is it that I can never persuade you to see reason?"

Chizuru heard the smooth, velvet timbre of his voice, but lacked all conscious ability to respond. Her heart had lodged itself deep into her throat, and it was all she could do to remain standing. Thankfully, he had a secure hold of her. Feeling his warm breath against her skin was enticing. Her mind moved into instant overdrive as it processed his fervent acquisition of her mouth.

Chizuru could determine one thing.

A single kiss from Hijikata was as disarming as a katana slicing through moonlight: sharp, swift, and cunning.

Her golden eyes were heavy in a daze.

"Kiss me again and I might start to understand," she offered by way of negotiation.

Funny…the gleam in the lieutenant's attractive eyes seemed to convey he was contemplating the same exact notion…Chizuru watched his carefully maintained façade flicker out of focus. Even if it was for the briefest of moments, she caught a glimpse of intense hunger from the man that intimidated her beyond all reason. His eyes weren't lying.

Hijikata _wanted_ her.

But before Chizuru could properly savor his desire (and the extent of her personal victory), she was distracted by the sounds of shinobi warriors congregating at the center of camp. Their voices were well within earshot. It didn't take her acute demon senses to discern that Kimigiku's rangers had returned to the creek bed. Hijikata could hear the commotion from outside the tent as well. Freeing his hold of her slightly, the oni-fukuchou glanced at the entrance before returning his attention to her with a look of expectation.

"They found our division," he alleged.

The moment was finally at hand now.

Chizuru disentangled herself from his arms (with a potent mixture of frustration and reluctance) and approached the cot to retrieve her wakazashi. Pulling the instrument free of its scabbard in one swift, voracious move, she let the sword burst into cobalt flames. _Tsundora_ stirred to life, a blistering blue crescent echoing the inherent power in her veins. It fed off the anticipatory tension in the air, responding with a loud flicker of light.

Chizuru raised her predacious gaze to the Demon Vice Commander.

"I don't know about you, but I think our reunion with Kondou-san is long overdue." She postulated with an uncharacteristically chilling countenance. "We can't let the others steal all the glory, now can we?"

Hijikata stared at the femme fatale that was Chizuru Yukimura.

"Indeed."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey you guys! Sorry about the horrendous delay. This is by far the most difficult chapter I have ever written, and I'm _still_ not sure if I'm completely satisfied with it yet. Hijikata and Chizuru are such wonderfully complex characters – well…the whole cast is really – but _holy moly_. This chapter was a challenge to compose. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

"Fragile" – 2cellos

Thank you _so much_ for reading and encouraging me to keep writing. Your kindness and enthusiasm is so deeply appreciated. I'll be eager to get the next chapter posted as soon as possible.

girliebird


	20. The Red Demon

**Chapter Twenty: **_**The Red Demon**_

* * *

The sky was a lurid shade of red by the time The Head Commander of the Shinsengumi found himself on the border of Satsuma territory.

As he took a moment to survey the dark evergreens spreading out before him, he could hear the dull roar of a river. It drifted through the glade, a welcoming sign that his journey was nearly at an end.

_Good,_ thought Kondou with a sigh,_ Kazuhiro should be nearby._

Their parties were scheduled to meet on the east side of the ravine, using the river as camouflage as they traveled further north. It would be another two days before he and his men reached the safety of Akahori castle, but at least it would be in the company of allies. With everything resting on the success of his alliance with Lord Shin, Kondou was in the state of mind to do _anything_ if it meant securing the support the Shinsengumi so desperately needed.

He took a deep breath.

"We're close, men," he announced with renewed vitality. "Nori Creek is straight ahead. Look sharp. Keep those banners straight. We don't want Kazuhiro to mistake us for the –"

His words died on his tongue.

Fixing his gaze on the dappled sunlight rustling along the road, he watched as the red and orange flecks disappeared into thin bands of shadow. The invasive scars stretched across the path like the strokes of a calligraphy brush, dark and severe. Kondou lifted his gaze, shielding his face against the intensity of the blood red sky, and froze.

Five silhouettes had materialized onto the road – five riders standing together in triangular formation. They were pinned against the backdrop of a sinking sun, making it virtually impossible for the Shinsengumi to distinguish friend from foe. As an eerie silence took hold of the forest, Kondou felt the first tremors of doubt.

"Greetings, Kondou Isami," welcomed the figure whose shadow withered furthest along the path. "We have been waiting for you. I trust you have had a safe journey?"

Kondou felt uneasy about the man who strolled forward casually on his horse.

"Kondou-san, is that Lord Shin?" His second-in-command questioned warily.

"No…that is not Kazuhiro." He replied under his breath. "That man is a stranger."

His soldiers grew vigilant at once. Flanking him on all sides, they reached for their swords in warning.

Kondou remained still, quietly assessing the stranger.

"You are not of Akahori," he stated, "but you are not of Satsuma either. Who are you? State your purpose."

"I go by many names, Commander." The man replied. "Perhaps you've heard of me?"

There was something unnerving in the way the stranger spoke. Kondou found himself vaguely reminded of Okita whenever he was in one of his bloodlust moods. The trickster swordsman had a natural talent for maintaining conviviality in the midst of dangerous opponents. But underneath that cordial warmth was a potent toxicity that could impel fear in the bravest of souls. This stranger had that same disquieting temperament, only far more unstable and aloof.

Kondou felt instinctual fear prickle his skin.

Whoever this fellow was – he was undoubtedly treacherous. The Commander had gathered enough experience in conflict to know that it was clear and present danger that obstructed his journey. As if to solidify this assumption, muffled shouts of alarm issued from his soldiers.

"Commander," his second-in-command informed him sharply, "we're being surrounded!"

Cutting his gaze to the sides of the road, Kondou caught the polished gleam of imperial swords and watched with a plummeting heart as a line of nondescript ronin in plain blue uniforms sauntered from the trees. They formed a loose circle around his taskforce, making escape virtually impossible.

Kondou suppressed his shock, returning his gaze to the pretentious stranger.

"My name is Yuu Sugitani," the man proffered in a blasé manner. Clucking his tongue, he urged his horse forward as he spoke, "most refer to me as the Silver Reaper, the Death Deliverer, the Red Demon…but to you, I am simply _Ryōshu no Satsujin_: assassination extraordinaire."

Yuu stood before the Shinsengumi in full shadow, allowing Kondou to see him for the first time.

The man was death in human form.

Dressed in charcoal with a black overcoat heavily patterned in orange diamonds, his torso was swathed in silver polished armor, and he wore a pair of black gloves. There were two blades threaded through his sash. His shaven head and face were edged in crimson light, creating a rather ghoulish appearance. Dark war paint was smudged around his eyes, lips, and cheekbones to give him the resemblance of a living skeleton.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He said with a dangerous smile.

Kondou stared into his colorless eyes with revulsion.

Ryōshu no Satsujin.

This man…no, this _butcher_ was certainly a person of interest to the Head Commander. His reputation ran as deep as Lake Biwa; his cavernous depths carved out by the sludge of countless victims slain by his sword. His tributaries stretched to all four coasts of Japan, leaving not a village untouched by his infamy. Everyone knew of the Red Demon and his preferred choice of prey.

The Murder of Lords, they liked to call him. _Ryōshu no Satsujin_.

There were fabled rumors that the Silver Reaper lost his entire clan to an oppressive warlord in the north, fueling his lifelong crusade against the aristocratic class. But a lifetime of incurable vengeance had replaced his humanity with that of a living corpse. He was unbound by any morals – a true devil in the flesh.

Kondou studied the skeleton in his view.

What did the Murderer of Lords want with the Shinsengumi?

It was obvious this was an assassination – _his_ to more exact – but Kondou was having trouble believing that this particular cutthroat would be the one to carry out his death sentence. Yuu Sugitani was a lethal weapon only the richest of the rich could ever hope to afford. If someone had indeed solicited his services, the amount would have been significant.

But the question remained…who?

Who on earth would go to such extremes to remove Kondou Isami from his seat of power?

"You make a peculiar assassin." He remarked. "Do you treat all your targets with such hospitality?"

"Typically, no." The skull admitted. "But this is a special occasion and you are a special objective, Kondou-san. I believe a few amenities are…_suitable _given the situation."

Kondou was only further perplexed by this.

"And what occasion might that be?"

"Purification," Yuu rumbled. His sunken gaze fixated on the commander with a fanatical gleam.

"There are people who believe the beauty of our nation has been contaminated by the Bakufu. The shogunate has polluted the old tradition, it has diseased the old hierarchy, and now it is infesting the samurai code with degenerate frauds such as your Shinsengumi." The assassin gestured loosely with his hand. "These people will not allow Japan to collapse under such corruption. Putting an end to this squalor is to be their life's masterpiece…and as the catalyst to their schemes, I shall start the purification process…with _you_."

A jolt of anticipation traveled through the Shinsengumi fleet.

Kondou held out a hand to steady them. It would not do well to lose face in this situation, even if they were trapped. Kondou needed to remain objective if he were to be receptacle to any favorable outcomes. Despite his reckless abandon, Yuu Sugitani appeared to be an intelligent man. There was still a possibility of negotiation…

"You speak out of disdain." Kondou stalled, careful to keep his expression impassive. "It appears that you share no conviction in their cause."

The assassin rolled his shoulders.

"I try not to invest myself too deeply in state politics," he answered with a sigh. "Whether this nation is truly headed for ruin or not is beyond me. One government dies, another is born in its place, and the vicious cycle endures. Massacre is the only mistress I know. Death and destruction are the parapets of truth I cling to, my friend. They are final, definite, eternal...Every man under this wretched, forsaken sun must submit to the law of mortality, including you."

"If what you say is true, then why fight for the old hierarchy?" Kondou asked. "Last I heard, you despise their kind."

It was a long shot. Appealing to the assassin's humanity by prying open an old wound was simultaneously bull-headed and frank. Kondou knew his strengths were in his sense of morality. He could pinpoint the source of a person's struggle and win them over in time. But when it came to the art of placating the enemy…well, that was where Sannan proved most proficient as both silver-tongue and wordsmith.

_If only he were here now_, Kondou thought with bated breath.

There was a cerebral flicker in Yuu's eyes as he tilted his head in amusement. Evidently Kondou had nicked a scar that had long festered and rotted. The assassin seemed unaffected by his tragic past, and worse, he seemed consciously aware of what Kondou was trying to achieve.

His only reaction was to grin.

"Why, because it is _they_ who have enlisted my services," he answered. "And as artist to patron, I am bound by their design. You should know your death came at a generous price, Commander. A generous price by a generous man."

Kondou curled his lip in disgust.

"So its money that secures your loyalty." He scoffed. "This is the person they hire to bring about Japan's salvation, huh? A rapacious cutthroat. I would have your 'patrons' reconsider the meaning of degeneracy, Yuu-san. You are no samurai. You lack all honor. And you are loyal to no one but yourself. You, sir, are the true fraud."

"Loyalty…" Yuu echoed. "A wise man has no need of loyalty. It only serves to betray you in the end."

The assassin dropped his face letting it swim in shadow as he motioned a signal with two gloved fingers. The other four riders moved forward to join him on both sides, and Kondou could see that they were each outfitted with a crossbow.

Revulsion burst inside his chest at the sight, and he pulled his katana free of its scabbard.

It was an open invitation for war.

The situation had grown dismal. The Red Demon's legion drastically outnumbered Kondou's small taskforce, and their assassination plot was an obvious one. No bells and whistles. No gimmicks. Just the promise of arrows in his chest before every Shinsengumi soldier was dragged down from his horse and sent into the afterlife along with him.

Though blood began to roar in Kondou's ears, the first signs of a pre-battle adrenaline rush, he could distinguish the delicate _twang_ of crossbows being drawn.

Death loomed across the road, and yet his men extracted their swords with calm stoicism. This was the way of the samurai. This was the way of the Shinsengumi. The warrior's way was the eternal flame that steered each and every soldier swiftly into battle. It was not a promise of survival, or a vow of mercy, but something much more transcendent. Kondou knew, deep down inside, that his men would fight until their last dying breath. They would sacrifice their lives if it meant protecting their leader. They would lay down their spirit at the threshold of Bushido Law.

Kondou was afflicted by intense sorrow.

"Hachiro." He addressed his second-in-command.

"Yes, sir?"

"At the first given moment…I need you to escape from here. Have your men concentrate on breaking their line of defense so that you can slip through. I want you to race back to headquarters and sound the alarm. The Shinsengumi is being targeted."

Hachiro frowned in disbelief.

"Me? But, Commander, what about _you_?" He responded heatedly. "Sannan-san and Hijikata-san would never forgive me for abandoning you. You're our leader!"

"My place is here, Hachiro." Kondou reaffirmed. "I've got to try and stop them before they bring any harm to Kazuhiro. I imagine he and his men are not too far away from here. Besides…it's me that want."

"But, sir –"

Kondou fixed him with a hard look.

"That is an order, Hachiro."

His second-in-command growled reluctantly, but complied.

"Very well. I will do as you say."

Kondou returned his attention to the assassin.

"Yuu Sugitani, fate may have brought our paths together, but you will _not_ be claiming my death this day." He bellowed for the sake of his men's solidarity. "True warriors settle their differences with their swords. If it is a fight you want, I will gladly give it to you."

The Shinsengumi prepared for the assault.

Yuu simply clapped his hands.

"Bakufu dogs…they all have the same bark, do they not?" He addressed his line of allies. "Even caged, they still yap as loud as they can."

Kondou clenched his teeth, trying to suppress a menacing growl.

"I met a friend of yours, Commander." Yuu resumed in his soft voice. "Another faithful dog of the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was a splendid fellow. Spoke in the spirit of tradition. He had much to say about loyalty and responsibility, but he was prone to speaking nonsense. I suspected him of contracting the ideological sickness that is plaguing the rest of Japan."

Kondou gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze swimming with indignation.

"Everyone knows the only cure for such a sickness is to spill blood." Yuu continued to goad. The charisma faded from his voice, the smile diminishing on his lips, and the true devil sprang to the forefront of his visage. Something predatory and fanatic flashed across the mercenary's face, and Kondou could see how Yuu Sugitani had earned his reputation.

"And, oh, did his blood run." He sang through curled lips.

The assassin unhooked a bundle from the back of his saddle bag and tossed it onto the dirt road. The item rolled, and Kondou caught the familiar Akahori family crest died into the silk. It had been cut straight from the coat of a daimyo.

"No…" Kondou raged.

Horror ripped through his body.

"Fukuchou…is that…"

"Lord Kazuhiro Shin, yes." Interjected Yuu. "Or what's left of him anyway. I believe he was collaborating with your taskforce, willing to support the Bakufu, but that venture has ended. His people have fallen under the control of the loyalist army now. You have come all this way on a false pretense, Commander. You were summoned by the words of a dead lord. See how your loyalty betrays you?"

The skeleton flicked his wrist and his ronin forces responded immediately.

Marching forward, they began to condense the circle, trapping Kondou and his men.

"I am afraid you are destined to share his fate." He stated. "You…and your pack of wolves."

Yuu gave a parting salute.

"Farewell, Kondou Isami."

The foot soldiers charged, screeching a unanimous battle cry. Yuu's snipers aimed their crossbows for Kondou, their fingers curling around the trigger. The Commander found himself wondering how deep those arrows would sink through his layers of silk and armor. He wondered…could they penetrate hatred too?

His death would not be instantaneous. He would writhe in agony before death finally claimed him. Frustration coiled in the pit of his stomach at the realization that he would be denied a warrior's death. The killing stroke of a well-brandished katana was far superior to the cheap shot of a crossbow. To come all this way…all this _way_ and not have the chance to fight…!

_Souji…Toshi…I am sorry._ Kondou languished angrily. _It would appear that I have failed you. The least I can do is rid you of these mercenaries. I'll take down as many as I can. Hachiro will bring you word of my death. From that moment on, it will be up to you to ensure the fate of the Shinsengumi._

_I entrust it to you._

The arrows were shot.

Kondou closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact.

The missiles sailed through the air. It would be any moment now.

But something miraculous occurred.

Just as the bowmen set their missiles free, a blockade of pure crystal materialized in front of the Commander, successfully intercepting their path. The arrows struck the barrier in a burst of white sparks before disintegrating into nothing. There was static energy in the air. Kondou's horse reared in alarm, nickering wildly.

"Commander, watch out!" Hachiro shouted.

Kondou watched a familiar blur race past him. The gale force was so powerful, he was nearly blind-sighted by the impact, but there was no mistaking the pale phantom sitting astride a frothing charger as it bolted through the air.

Souji Okita brandished his katana with a straight arm so the blade swept through the air with a hollow _whoosh_, and stormed the unsuspecting Red Demon head-on. His approach was brutal and direct. The trickster swordsman was barely sitting in the saddle as he threw his weight to one side and lunged for the assassin. Yuu had no choice but to throw his body backwards and dismount his horse in order to escape the swipe that would have otherwise split him clean in two.

"_What the…what the __**hell**__?!"_ Yuu sputtered from his place on the ground.

"Souji," Kondou breathed in disbelief.

The trickster swordsman was pale in the fading sunlight. His gaze rivaled that of bleeding sun, burning hot with animosity. Okita jumped off his charger and strode toward the assassin, letting the wind tussle white-blond fringe around a hungry fox grin. The assassin peered at the Rasetsu with open fascination, his eyes soaking in the power of the blood wraith.

"Good evening. My name is Okita Souji, First Division Captain of the Shinsengumi," he introduced himself with a mock bow. "And it is _I_ who will be sending you to the fiery pits of hell, you bastard."

"Commander, look!" One of the soldiers shouted. "Yamazaki-san, Inoue-san. They've brought back-up!"

Kondou tore his gaze away from Okita to examine the ronin forces for his Shinsengumi elite. Sure enough, the familiar faces of Yamazaki Susumu and Inoue Genzaburo materialized in the shadows as they charged through the line of enemies. They had a cavalry team close behind them. The horses slammed into the foot soldiers, causing many to scamper backwards before they could be crushed underneath razor-sharp hooves.

The Commander's convoy absorbed their fellow brethren readily.

"Yamazaki-san, Inoue-san…_how in the world?"_

"Kondou-san," Yamazaki addressed with evident relief, "thank god you are alright. These men are under orders from Itou Kashitarou. He's plotting a rebellion in the capitol. We are here to rescue you and bring you back to headquarters."

"_What_?" Kondou gasped. The statement left him momentarily breathless. "This is Itou's doing? How can this be?"

"Itou has been amassing an army to overthrow the Bakufu. He hopes that by getting rid of you, the Shinsengumi will dissolve, making it easier for him to eliminate the shogunate. He's planning a coup d'état."

"It's true." Inoue confirmed, effectively solidifying Yamazaki's allegations.

"Kami…" Kondou breathed. "The ronin in the business sector –"

"– were hired by Itou, yes."

This fueled the Commander with incredible rage.

"_He's a traitor_," he hissed under his breath. Betrayal, white-hot and all-consuming, swept through the Kondou at his old comrade's devastating treachery. Itou Kashitarou was no longer an ally, but an enemy of the state, a turncoat, a conspirator. Not long ago, he had been Kondou's military advisor and colleague. Kondou had trusted the swordsman – respected him even. He had gone out of his way to collaborate with Itou for the benefit of the Shinsengumi.

_See how your loyalty betrays you?_

The death of Kazuhiro Shin…the betrayal of Itou Kashitarou…and the threat of Yuu Sugitani…it all came crashing down on the Head Commander as he pieced it all together.

"Yamazaki-san. Inoue-san," he growled, "I don't know how you were able to find me, but I am glad you're here. We have to stop this."

"Agreed."

Kondou searched the crowd for his lieutenant.

"Souji is here…but where is Toshi?"

"Here," came the awaited response.

Thick plumes of dust erupted on the road yielding four familiar figures within the swirling disarray.

Toshizo Hijikata, Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi had joined the scene at last, bringing with him two pureblood demons and one master kunoichi. The group stood with the preeminence of legendary samurai, their bodies straight and their weapons poised for war.

"Hijikata-san, your timing is perfect." Inoue stated in respite.

"You were waiting for that weren't you?" murmured Yamazaki as an aside.

Their oni-fukuchou squared his shoulders in approval.

"Inoue, Yamazaki, you have done well." Hijikata praised with his sword at the ready. "Kondou-san, you should be aware of the strife you have caused for these men."

"Toshi."

"You have no idea what we've gone through in order to reach you in time," added Kimigiku, raising a hand filled with needle-thin daggers.

"But you're still alive." Senhime stated triumphantly. "We intend to keep you that way."

"It's time to bring you home," finished Chizuru with a backwards glance at the Head Commander, "We're here to rescue you."

Kondou soaked in her unnaturally molten gaze.

"Yuki..mura…kun?"

It was jarring to see her in her true form. The ivory coloring of her skin had an ethereal beauty that simultaneously mesmerized and alarmed Kondou. There was a perceptible sharpness to her features too, as if her human qualities had been polished to perfection. The effect was staggering.

Any man in charge of his cognitive faculties would be able to recognize the dangerous predator standing within his vicinity. It didn't help matters that Chizuru was wearing the powder blue shroud he had entrusted to Senhime right before he left. He could see that it was already covered in stains. The white tails of her metal head guard were lost in platinum hair, and she brandished a sword that shimmered with blue light.

Had so much changed since he left headquarters?

The crystal blockade condensed around their small party, successfully deflecting another deluge of arrows. Chizuru and Hijikata stepped into a parrying stance with their swords held before their bodies protectively while Senhime created a gap in the barrier large enough for Kimigiku to toss a handful of daggers into several nearby ronin.

Yes…things had most certainly changed.

There were more shouts from the sides of the road. A collection of dust eruptions produced a team of shinobi warriors, adding significantly to the Shinsengumi force. Kondou eyed the demoness curiously.

"Senhime-san," he murmured. "You brought your people with you too?"

Senhime lifted a hand, carefully controlling the height of the barrier.

"We have an alliance in the making, Commander." She confirmed. "But we'll discuss the details later. For now you can consider us as allies."

"Yuu Sugitani," Hijikata bellowed in his deep, commanding voice. "You are about to learn the true depth of our Commander's honor. The crime for killing a daimyo is evisceration. I hope you came prepared to die."

Yuu's focus was still on Okita, but there was a deranged fascination coloring his skeletal eyes. He returned to his feet slowly, hand dusting the hilt of his katana. It was obvious he was wary of the unusual swordsman in his proximity; although, he appeared more exhilarated than panicked.

"My, my…you have extraordinary friends, Kondou-san." He commemorated with a low whistle. "One might assume that you are in the company of…_demons_."

"Should I prove your suspicions true?" Okita provoked.

"Souji," Hijikata called out in warning.

"Ah ah ah, Hijikata-san. I got to him first." He said with a waggle of his finger. "And I shall enjoy – most ardently – showing him the power of a real demon, eh Reaper-san?"

Yuu Sugitani looked starved for a duel.

"I was sent to kill wolves," he said as his movements turned liquid, "my patron made no mention of demons. But who am I to deny you…Souji Okita?"

The captain smiled.

"Very well then."

Devil and demon began to circle each other like a pair of ravenous vultures. The sight of their hostility further intensified the dynamism between the two opposing forces. Ronin began to recollect on the outskirts of the road, preparing for another assault. There wasn't a moment to lose.

Hijikata began issuing orders.

"Yamazaki, Inoue, shadow Kondou. Do not let him out of your sight. Removing him from the fight is your first prerogative."

"Hai, Fukuchou!"

"Senhime-san, Kimigiku-san, your shinobi will provide backup for our men. See if you can comb through the trees and eradicate any ronin from above."

"Got it!" Senhime and Kimigiku nodded their affirmation.

"Chizuru."

Kondou watched a deliberate look pass between Hijikata and Chizuru, and the nature of their wordless exchange was so powerful and intimate, the Head Commander felt compelled to avert his gaze. The way in which his commanding lieutenant was regarding their female ward so…so…_poignantly_ was a telling sign that something had changed in Hijikata. It contrasted so starkly with the glowering swordsman he had left behind at headquarters, Kondou was momentarily mystified.

The morning of his departure, he remembered the mixture of anger and indifference in Hijikata's gaze as he instructed him to give Chizuru complete absolution of her duties to pursue her training.

_Kondou-san, she is in no fit condition to do anything_. He had revoked obstinately. _Absolution I will agree to, but out of consideration for her recovery not her demon training._

_Toshi, if what Senhime says is true then our Chizuru has awaked a dangerous power. If left unchecked, it could consume her. _He had reminded the difficult lieutenant. _She will need to continue her training if she has any hope of maintaining control. Think of her wellbeing._

_Are you? _Hijikata had quipped.

It was at that point that Kondou had heaved an exasperated sigh.

_Careful, Toshi. Your stubbornness will blind you from that which is right in front of you. Don't become blind to what others can plainly see for themselves._

It would appear that Hijikata was no longer blind to his own feelings, or…at the very least, no longer in a state of denial. He stood so close to Chizuru, they were nearly touching each other, and the sight of them together in their blue silk was arresting. They were no longer guardian and ward. They were an even match. Demon samurai and demon woman standing on the brink of mortal combat.

Chizuru's golden gaze flickered.

"I'm with you," she said.

Hijikata closed his eyes, letting her presence comfort him before he spoke.

"Shadow me, Chizuru. Follow my every move. Do not stray but a sword-length apart," he instructed her swiftly. "Always let me know that you are near, understood?"

"Yes."

His eyes cut through the cobalt crystal to peer at the four horsemen who continued to shoot arrows at their barrier.

"Our job is to eliminate those archers. " He said with a nod in their direction. "Are you ready?"

Chizuru took a breath.

"I'm ready."

There was no denying the truth to her statement. Chizuru Yukimura was resolute in her decision to fight. It was rather tragic to find her so fitting in Shinsengumi colors, thought Kondou. Her role as a soldier was no longer a guise. She was the real deal now. A female samurai. A demon.

Kondou took a breath, overwhelmed in his anguish.

_This isn't right._ He scolded himself. _This isn't what I wanted._

What was the point of leadership if Kondou continually roped his subordinates into the crossfires of his own shortcomings? Yuu had not been too far from the truth. Loyalty was something he had a habit of giving too freely, as in the case with Itou Kashitarou. If Kondou had demonstrated a little more caution, perhaps he would have realized that Kazuhiro's letter was forged. He could have prevented this situation from ever occurring. He could have better protected his Shinsengumi, so that those like Chizuru didn't have to risk their lives for his mistakes.

Kondou was compelled to voice his objections, but his intention was lost in the sudden commotion around him. The entire group assembled into battle formation.

"Everyone, good luck. Remember the plan. We will reconvene at our designated spot." Hijikata intoned. "Do not be in a hurry to die. There is still much we have to take care of after this. Kyoto will not hold out for long."

"Hai!"

The group stilled for the signal.

"Senhime," Hijikata beckoned.

The demoness retracted the barrier letting it dissolve into nothing.

And just like that, the war had begun.

* * *

**A/N:** Guys, thank you so much for all the kind reviews and favorites. Your enthusiasm keeps me motivated to write this story. I do apologize for the lengthy delay. The fall semester is currently in full swing, and I'm having to juggle assignments again. Ugh. But! I _still_ intend to finish this story, and after much deliberation over the plot, I have decided that there needs to be a second installment. There is still so much to explore, and I'd hate to sacrifice any part of the plot by cramming it all in the end…things are just getting exciting now that everyone is finally banding together. (Senhime's alliance will be further explained in the coming chapter.)

This photograph inspired Yuu Sugitani:

uploaded_images/skull_tattoo_

This is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

Varuna – E.S. Posthumus (Yuu Sugitani's theme)

Mausam &amp; Escape – AR Rahman (Recovery Division arrives)

Again, thank you so much. I love you all. Construction of the next chapter shall commence at once!

girliebird


	21. Battle at Nori Creek

**Chapter Twenty One: **_**Battle at Nori Creek**_

* * *

"They say if a man kills enough, he will become a demon."

Yuu Sugitani drew his sword from its sheath, rotating his wrist so that it pin-wheeled gracefully at his side.

"From the looks of it…you have been very busy, my friend." He observed.

Okita sucked in his cheek, silently contemplating the various deaths he could impose on the assassin.

The Rasetsu curse was heady and impatient. It compelled him to approach Yuu in a maelstrom of steel, but he willed himself to be in control of his impulses…for now, anyway.

Adopting his customary charm, the trickster swordsman evaluated his opponent.

"Are you telling me you believe in superstition?" He taunted.

"Hardly," said Yuu. "But when I look at you…it is hard not to imagine the possibility."

He strolled left as Okita strolled right. Their steps were deliberate and slow. A game of cat and mouse; though, one would be hard-pressed to determine who was the cat and who was the mouse in this particular situation. The captain studied his enemy, wondering if Yuu spent as much time with his swordplay as he did with his freakish ensemble. The paint creased at his eyes and mouth, alluding to old age, but there was a noticeable fluidity to his movements.

The reaper's blade might be dangling casually at his side, but his footsteps were spring-loaded for an attack.

Okita remained cautious.

"Thirty years I have been in the business of killing, and you are the first swordsman to ever catch me off guard." Yuu confessed.

"Is that so?" Okita replied, arching a brow. "Well then, let me respond by sharing that you are the first man I have ever flung off a horse."

The assassin's eyes slivered.

"I _do_ hope you are as dangerous as you appear, Okita-san. It would be disappointing to fight you…only to kill you within seconds."

"You seem confident."

"I'm Ryōshu no Satsujin." He stated vainly. "I've been a demon long before you could pick up a sword, boy."

"Now _that_ I doubt." Okita argued. "I've _earned _my damnation. Unlike you, Reaper-san, I'm not above dirtying my hands."

"You think I'm a coward?"

"Only a coward lets an arrow do his dirty work."

"What?" Yuu scowled, openly perplexed.

Okita's eyes betrayed him. They flickered briefly to Kondou who was still ensconced within Senhime's shield with the others. The assassin followed his gaze, and upon seeing the source of Okita's concern, he hummed in understanding.

_"Oh_...I see." He leered. "You're upset that I didn't accept your commander's challenge. My…how touching."

Okita glared by way of response.

"You are young." Yuu pointed out. "When you get to be my age, you start to become…_selective_ in the blood you shed." He murmured, choosing his words carefully. "A novice will cut down anything in their path, but a true master attenuates quantity to quality."

The Rasetsu madness seared underneath Okita's skin, intensifying his anger tenfold. The insult was sharp enough to slice his insides, making the captain hiss in vehemence. No one _ever_ insulted Kondou Isami in the presence of Okita Souji. It was the only provocation powerful enough to shatter his control.

Lucky for him, it just in time.

He could hear Hijikata uttering the final mandate, as Senhime released the barrier. Those hidden behind the shield leapt into action, filling Okita with a sense of urgency. He lifted his sword, letting fingers dust the polished surface. Angling the blade in his customary stance, he bestowed the Red Demon with a parting smile.

"Prepare to die, old man."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Across the road in the dense evergreen canopy, kunoichi and demoness moved swiftly through the branches, taking turns eliminating threats from above.

"Senhime-sama, we are in _serious trouble_." Kimigiku fretted as she shoved an archer off a branch in a cloud of pine needles. He released a piercing scream before disappearing into the brush, his bow and arrows descending along with him.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Kimigiku pulled her daggers free from the pine and fixed her charge with piercing violet eyes.

"What we're doing right now…it's in direct violation of the code." She warned.

Senhime sailed through the air, landing on another unsuspecting scout with as much fervor as a hawk. Delivering a power kick to his abdomen, the demoness sent the scout spiraling to the ground.

"Yes, yes, I know!" She huffed distractedly.

"And yet we're doing it anyway? What about your family? What about the elders? This could bring dishonor to the Gozen Clan!"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Doesn't matter?!_"_The kunoichi griped. "May I remind you that this could propagate banishment from your own line of succession? This alliance with the Shinsengumi could diminish your birthright, milady. Is that what you want?"

"I mentioned an alliance, Kimi-chan, but not with the Shinsengumi." Senhime amended. "To your right!"

"What?"

"Your right! Quick!"

Kimigiku caught sight of an archer tucked into the leaves trying to shoot soldiers from his perch. Using the end of her branch as leverage, she grabbed the end and swung her body to the right. One dagger to the throat, and the archer ceased his firing immediately.

Kimigiku soaked in the face of the man she just killed and frowned.

"Each human life we take is crime." She stated. "My people will follow your orders, but to what end? You are putting yourself at risk."

Senhime landed on the branch beside her, breathing laboriously.

It was hard scaling trees in samurai armor.

"Look, I know you are only trying to protect me, but we've got to think bigger. There is a demon war about to be unleased on humanity and it has fallen on us to stop it." Senhime forced between breaths. She brought a hand to her face and blocked an arrow. Outraged, Kimigiku flung a dagger into the canopy and caught the assailant, nailing him to the tree.

"The Gozen Clan will support the Yukimura heir." Senhime resumed, unfazed. "If said 'heir' happens to be wedded to the Shinsengumi, so be it. She is the Warden of the East. If we are to overcome her kin's hunger for world domination, it _has_ to be through Chizuru."

"But will the elders recognize her claim?"

The kunoichi's stare was unrelenting.

"As far as they're concerned, Chizuru is a threat." Kimigiku elaborated. "This fact was made painfully clear when we returned to the estate without her."

Recalling the tumultuous manner in which they were escorted back to the Gozen fortress, the demoness suppressed her sudden bout of frustration.

"They thought I would be able to convince her to come with us," Senhime acknowledged unhappily.

"But now she has bonded herself to a human. And a _samurai_ at that." The kunoichi sighed. "For a pureblood to be in league with a human faction…this is not going to bode well, milady."

"Which is precisely why I am declaring my allegiance," responded Senhime, as she returned the kunoichi's hardened gaze. "The elders may revoke my rule as clan head, but that does not erase the fact that I am Suzuka Gozen's heir. They shouldn't be surprised by this. My family has always had a natural compassion for humans."

Kimigiku furrowed her brows.

"Demon law is unforgiving though. Word will spread of the Yukimura Clan's dissention and Chizuru will be the one to pay for her family's dishonor. The council could motion to have her eliminated." She speculated, voicing the evils that Senhime foresaw in her own mind. "Even if she does regain control of the Yukimura Clan, her bond to the oni-fukuchou will work against her. She will be perceive as a disgrace."

Senhime weighed the possibility with growing concern.

"I brought her into this mess, Kimi-chan." She said, bracings hands on her hips. "I did it without realizing the consequences. If Chizuru had remained oblivious, she could have been spared the political intrigue. But I insisted, and now she's become an integral part of a problem much larger than Kazama. As her mentor, it is my responsibility to protect her…even if it means protecting her from her own kind."

Senhime dropped her gaze to the forest floor where discord bloomed in the shadows. Catching sight of a familiar white-blond head, the demoness watched as Chizuru rushed into combat. She was swift and sleek without a trace of hesitation marring her pale features.

The ergonomic quality of her Akuma no Sukin combined with the power of her ancestral blade gave Chizuru a vast advantage over her opponents. She was more agile, instinctive, focused… Even now, her golden eyes were trained on her target, as _Tsundora_ trailed behind her like a comet's tail.

The sight of her prowess erased Senhime's doubts.

"Chizuru may be vulnerable, but she is not weak." She said with a flickering glance at the kunoichi.

She motioned down below and watched in satisfaction as astonishment broke through the kunoichi's pessimism. Kimigiku observed Chizuru with rapt attention.

"_That_ is our Warden of the East." Senhime intoned in a low voice. "_That_ is the Yukimura Clan's salvation. She has what it takes to stop this war, and I am willing to risk anything to help her."

Kimigiku studied the severity of Senhime's expression before uttering a long suffering sigh.

"Well then…we better get started." She said with a sour grin. "Royal heirs aren't reinstated overnight."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Fighting in demon form was effortless, thought Chizuru as she wove her way through ronin soldiers.

Sprinting beside Hijikata, she kept her focus trained on the four horsemen who continued launching arrows into the crowd. She found it was better to hone in on her target, rather than be distracted with everything else around her. Adrenaline mixed with hyperactive senses presented Chizuru with her first challenge: maintaining her concentration.

A familiar metallic scent filled the air, and she recognized it as killing intent. It was heavily overshadowed by the acrid fragrance of pine and Hijikata's own blend of bergamot and lavender. Still, the vapors stung her nostrils. Chizuru adopted breathing through her mouth and kept her focus straight ahead, letting everything else blur in her periphery.

She could see that the horsemen were similarly dressed like the skeleton assassin; though, their faces were akin to demon masks rather than skulls. Each man was brushed in varying shades of black and white with unnatural curling smiles painted on their cheeks. Members of Yuu Sugitani's posse, she had to guess.

Her golden eyes picked up the flaky grease paint coating their faces, and discovered that the minute detail somehow diminished their ferocity.

They were fake.

She was real.

Chizuru held on to the thought for reassurance, as she rushed straight into battle.

Hijikata dodged an attack, flinging steel to his left. She perceived his movements almost before they happened. His torso curled for a blocking stroke, wind catching his hair and sleeves, and she heard the delicate whorl of his blade.

Sliding into an abrupt halt, she covered his back as he dispatched the attacker. His body moved so quickly, it nearly threw her off, but her footing was solid. Taking a knee to the ground, she side-stepped Hijikata's sword and deflected the attack from a second ronin. _Tsundora_ screeched against his polished blade. The ronin faltered from it unnatural blue, but braced himself for another advance.

Hijikata and Chizuru rotated, switching places with one another so that the oni-fukuchou could stop the ronin and she could stop the arrows flying in their direction. Chizuru didn't need to hear them hissing through the air. She just _knew_. Flicking a wrist, a panel of crystal formed overhead and she let it shatter into an explosion large enough to keep assailants at bay.

The lieutenant was successful in cutting down the ronin. The body collapsed to the forest floor, but not without a gory spray of blood. Droplets spattered across his face, but he was undeterred. Clearing his sword of the gore, he angled it close to his body.

"Let's go," he ordered, beckoning to her with his free hand.

They were off again, moving like one entity.

Shadowing a Shinsengumi cavalryman, they raced through the chaos. Shinobi and ronin were everywhere, but it was easy to recognize the powder blue of their comrades. Most of them had fanned out to disarm the circle of cutthroats, which left those on foot within range of the archers. The quicker Chizuru and Hijikata eliminated the bowmen – the better.

Chizuru was lunged at from the side. Her attacker swung his sword downwards while swiping his sheath along her heels. Reflexively, she twisted out of the attack and managed to parry with the side-step, upward thrust combo she has learned from Senhime. But the man, being heavily built, used his weight to overwhelm her as he pressed downwards.

Everything happened so fast.

Running her blade to the hilt of his sword, she squatted low and upturned his katana, freeing herself from the pressure. Her body knew what to do before she could even collect her thoughts. As he lunged forward for a counterattack, she angled _Tsundora_ and ran the edge of it along the man's side, splitting flesh.

The ronin staggered a few steps before he stumbled to the ground.

Chizuru didn't dare watch. He was the eleventh person to fall victim to her sword, but it was no less shocking than her first. Suppressing her feelings of bewilderment, she moved to rejoin Hijikata who was ensnared in his own obstacle. Two ronin were attempting to cut down the Shinsengumi cavalryman with Hijikata caught in the crossfire.

Chizuru picked up a discarded dagger lying on the ground, calculated the short distance with her golden eyes, and launched the object into the air. It found purchase in the shoulder blade of the ronin furthest from the lieutenant, making it easy for him to eliminate the other.

Ripping his sword clean of the enemy, Hijikata whipped around and stared at Chizuru.

"We're moving too slow," she said as she flanked his side.

She was breathing heavily, beads of sweat forming on her brow.

The Demon Vice Commander parted his lips to respond, but there was no time for conversing. More enemies had blocked their path. An arrow struck the Shinsengumi soldier, dragging him to the forest floor as his charger spooked. Someone shouted across the clearing, but it was difficult for Chizuru to make out who. She was presently staring into several dangerous faces with only Hijikata at her back.

She counted six.

Six ronin with their blades angled at her nose.

She eyed them warily.

It would be unwise to deplete her chikara on these cutthroats. Risking too much at the beginning of the fight would forfeit her leverage too early - a risk she could not afford. Chizuru would have to save the Three Deadly Virtues in favor of pure battle dexterity. She was confident in her ability with _Tsundora_, especially now that it was back in her possession, but she wondered if the connection between herself and Hijikata was similarly fortified.

She could feel his emotions just as she could with _Tsundora_, but his were far less intuitive and articulated. If she had to liken it to something, she would say it was like experiencing an additional weight on her conscious. Given the fact that he was a free living being and not an inanimate object, Chizuru could understand the complexity, but still…it worried her.

How would their bond effect each other?

If she depleted too much chikara, would it harm him too?

_There's only one way to find out_, she thought grimly.

Hijikata withdrew about a step, letting his back press flush against hers.

"Did Senhime ever show you what to do when you are surrounded?" He intoned low enough for only her ears.

"Yes," she responded, recalling the illusions the demoness had cast to test her resolve in a difficult situation. She had performed the maneuver to its perfection when she was pitted up against Kaoru's Rasetsu fleet. She discovered that _Tsundora_ had a particular knack for evasive strategy.

But that was a single person maneuver. Having a partner drastically changed the form. If she and Hijikata did not stay in perfect synchronization, they could risk killing each other in the process.

Chizuru squelched her doubt.

She was just going to have to trust herself.

Shifting her hands along the hilt of her demon blade, Chizuru raised her arms and angled it upwards.

Hijikata did the same, but angled his downwards.

"On the count of three," he whispered.

"One…."

"Two…" she breathed.

"_Three_!" They cried out in unison as they fell into action.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"_Hachiro_, _NO_!" Kondou shouted as he watched his second-in-command get shot by an arrow. The weapon lodged itself deep into his neck unmercifully. Stunned by the impact, Hachiro slipped off his horse and fell into shadow. The sight threw Kondou in a state of agony that further compounded as he witnessed Hijikata and Chizuru be surrounded by the enemy.

"Kondou-san, this way. Hurry! Quick!" Inoue ushered the Head Commander from outside the fight. They had a small window of opportunity to escape amid the chaos. The moment the barrier evaporated, mounted Shinsengumi sprang upon the ronin foot soldiers in a collective effort to create a distraction.

Kondou; however, remained rooted to the spot.

"You heard Hijikata. We have to leave _now_," urged Yamazaki.

Still, the Commander refused to budge.

"I can't." He said.

"What?" Inoue and Yamazaki said in accord.

"I said 'I can't'." Kondou repeated, clenching his jaw. "No…I _won't_."

Leave the fight? How could they expect him to abandon his men? _His_ men?

Still wracked with guilt, Kondou watched the violent display in horror.

Okita was pitted alone against Yuu Sugitani. The Red Demon assailed him in an onslaught of advances, forcing Okita to match his pace. The two were a black and white blur with their swords the only thing illuminated by the red sun. The Ochimizu drug had erased Okita's injuries, giving him ferocity unmatched by any human, but Kondou knew that it was his own endangerment that spurred the captain to condemn himself to a life of bloodlust and madness.

Several feet from the duel, Hijikata and Chizuru were caught in a deadlock with a group of ronin.

Simultaneously twisting, blocking, and attacking, the two made a fearsome duo. One moved and the other reacted, creating the perfect balance of offense and defense. Hijikata was power and strength; whereas, Chizuru was speed and agility. Their harmonization baffled Kondou.

Hijikata was a highly skilled swordsman. For Chizuru to be matching his pace…well, to say he was awestruck would be an understatement. But while their dynamism was unquestionable, their ronin enemies held no qualms in attacking as a collective force. In order to increase their resistance, Chizuru had to use her sheath as Hijikata withdrew his short sword. They were lost to the dance, fighting for survival.

Senhime and Kimigiku had melted into the trees, but the Commander watched as their shinobi warriors turned themselves into human shields. Intercepting ronin attacks on behalf of the Shinsengumi, they were able to bolster the convoy's defensive measures as they charged into the forest. Any soldiers that were grounded found solace under the steady stream of shinobi arsenal.

Kondou felt lost.

It wasn't in his nature to flee. His place was at the center of discord, fighting alongside his men. To abandon them for the sake of his own skin…this was the part of leadership that Kondou could not condone. It seemed too cowardly and self-serving.

The Head Commander nudged his horse forward.

"Kondou-san, what are you doing?" Yamazaki asked anxiously.

"I will not run away, Yamazaki-san. Step aside," he ordered.

The Shinsengumi spy moved to block his path.

"Commander," he intoned slowly, "I understand how you feel. Trust me, I know. But if you rush into the fight, then everything we have risked in coming here, everything we are risking right _now_, will be for nothing."

"I will _not_ run away like a coward," Kondou fumed. "Step aside!"

"Kondou-san, you are our leader. Try to understand. We are nothing without you!" Yamazaki rebounded with a worried look. "If we lose you, the Shinsengumi is lost. Your subordinates can always be replaced, but not you!"

"Think of the men, Kondou-san," Inoue offered softly. "Do you want their deaths to be for nothing?"

Kondou didn't want to think, he wanted to _fight_. He wanted to avenge Lord Shin and Hachiro. He wanted to express his rage at being betrayed by Itou. He wanted to give himself over to his primal impulses, and loose himself in battle just like everyone else.

But Inoue's words shot through his turbulent thoughts, acting as a sedative. Peering at the kind-faced swordsman, Kondou found himself seeing past the hatred…He began to remember himself.

The answer to Inoue's questions was painfully simple.

"Yamazaki…Inoue…let's go," he consented, dropping his brow in shadow.

Reining his horse away from the fight, he pressed his heels into its flanks and took off at a gallop.

Yamazaki and Inoue followed fast behind.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"What's the matter? Feeling a little tired, Reaper-san?"

Okita flicked his sword clean of blood and watched the mercenary struggle opposite him. Yuu's face was crumpled into a grimace, but it was out of pretense. The trickster swordsman had discovered that the assassin's fighting style was just as corrupt as his soul. Yuu had a penchant for charades. He was a slippery swordsman with open stances full of traps.

Okita felt the consequence of one such trap. An open wound along the ridge of his cheekbone bled freely. A rivet of blood travelled into the hem of his green collar underneath his breastplate, but it was sweat for all he was concerned. His body was numb to the pain. Lulled into a state of ecstasy, it burned with the need to kill, thus all other sensations were annulled.

"Heh…impressive." Yuu swiped the blood pooling at the corner of his mouth, making it red. "But I'm just getting warmed up."

Okita's smirk darkened.

"Oh good…Me too."

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Hijikata, I can get a clear shot if you spot me."

Chizuru pulled her sword free from a nearby tree and let her enemy sink to the dirt. His body thrashed unnaturally from the pain of his injuries, but she ignored his agony.

"We're too vulnerable." Hijikata disagreed.

They were standing in the remains of their would-be killers, shaky and exhausted. The lieutenant had incurred a host of scratches, but Chizuru's demon power was already repairing the abused flesh.

Glancing at Chizuru, he found her equally battered, but she was already concentrating on the two remaining archers on horseback.

"I can do it." She reaffirmed.

Hijikata followed her gaze and hesitated.

"It's too big of a risk."

"I can do it."

"Chizuru."

"Hijikata, just trust me." She implored.

He fixed her with a cold look, but realized it was a moot point.

She had already proven to him that she was highly capable whether he was ready to acknowledge it or not.

"Fine." He said.

Moving like silk, Hijikata shadowed her left. Angling his wakazashi so that it acted as a shield at her side, he brandished his katana in preparation for an attack. Chizuru returned her own short sword to its scabbard and threaded it through her sash.

"What are you doing?!" He asked, alarmed.

"Shhh…I have to concentrate."

Chizuru clasped her hands together in prayer, and Hijikata found the sight perplexing.

Closing her eyes, she manifested an eerie blue glow that concentrated between her palms. Drawing her hands slowly apart, she revealed a perfectly formed sphere. It pulsated, growing brighter and brighter with every second she cradled it with her fingers. Content with its potency, she reeled back on her right foot, twisted her body, and coiled for a pitch.

"Watch your ears," she warned, "this will be loud."

As it dawned on Hijikata what she was about to do, he quickly moved to stop her. But it was too late. She tossed the blue orb into the air and let it smash against the base of a nearby tree, erupting into a powerful explosion. The two remaining bowmen fell victim to its impact, evaporating into the great flash of light.

Chizuru had covered her face with an arm to protect it from the intensity of the blast, but before she could peek at her handiwork, Hijikata snatched her arm and tugged her harshly to the side. Their footing was encumbered with bodies strewn across the road. Hijikata was forced to jump, dragging Chizuru behind him just in time for the ancient pine to come crashing down onto the road. A dust cloud of pine needles, tree bark, and cones saturated the air, making it impossible to see.

Hijikata grunted as his back met the harsh earth. A heavy weight fell on top of him, knocking the air from his lungs, and he could feel the layered panels of Chizuru's metal dou pressing into his ribcage. Blinking back the dust, he peered through the disarray and found her coughing.

"Are you out of your mind?" He reprimanded, still clutching onto her arm.

"Sorry…," she groaned, "I didn't think I'd bring the whole tree down."

"Impulsive…" Hijikata gritted out.

She fixed him with defensive golden eyes, preparing herself for a rebuttal, but faltered when she found him peering at her with mild approval. His expression was caught between irritation and amusement if such a thing were possible. It caused Chizuru to pause. There were so many words hidden behind those lavender eyes of his, but he needn't utter a sound. His expression was enough to make her flush.

Chizuru thought she caught the slightest metallic tinge in his irises, but it was fleeting and infinitesimal.

His hand grew soft on her arm. A tender caress that burned through her sleeve. Chizuru took note of the scandalous manner in which her body pressed against his, and for a moment forgot about the fighting. Instead, she soaked in the specks of blood, smooth skin, and ferocious disarray of her pairbond. Hijikata was never more beautiful, and Chizuru never felt more alive than in that single moment.

But like all wonderful things, it ended much too soon.

Hijikata grabbed her by the waist and shoved her aside just in time to stab his katana into a ronin who had his sword descending fast over their heads. Rolling out of the way of the man's dead weight, Hijikata seized her and pulled her back onto her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes," she replied, but held onto his arm for support. The stunt with the crystal sphere had drained her more than she had anticipated. Or perhaps it was her exhaustion finally catching up to her. Either way, it was a cause for concern. If she kept fighting, her condition would only continue to deteriorate.

Hijikata must have already reached this conclusion. He glanced around for any signs of immediate danger, and was relieved to see that the worst was over. Kondou has successfully escaped the fight, and the ronin numbers had dwindled significantly. Even now, Okita had the Red Demon trapped against the rocky outcrop of the road.

Hijikata watched as the captain approached the man slowly, uttering his final words before plunging his katana straight through Yuu's stomach. The assassin cried out in pain, but grew silent the moment Okita ripped his sword out.

The Rasetsu stood solemn.

Ryōshu no Satsujin, assassination extraordinaire, was dead.

Hijikata placed a firm hand on Chizuru's shoulder, keeping his eyes on Okita.

"Our part is finished. We should regroup with the others." He suggested.

Chizuru regained her poise, drawing _Tsundora_ from her sheath.

"Right, let's get out of here," She agreed.

There was no further cause to linger.

Sprinting from the road and into the trees, Hijikata led the way as they melted into the darkness.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Senhime was under fire as she sprinted nimbly along a branch.

Her aggressor was shooting a multitude of arrows that sank deep into the shadow at her heels. One wrong step, and she would be pinned by the foot. Taking a deep breath, she slipped off the branch in favor of a sturdier one below and sprinted straight toward the enemy.

He was the last one out of maybe twenty, and the furthest from the road. His chances of survival were minimal and he knew it. He shot arrow after arrow, hoping that the scaled warrior would be pinned in the confusion, but Senhime ducked and dodged them easily. Soon, the archer found his quiver empty and a pair of hands encircling his head.

Kimigiku twisted his neck, ending his ferment.

"That was the last one, right?" Senhime panted, crouching low on the branch.

"Hai," Kimigiku replied, shoving the archer unceremoniously from the tree.

"Then why do I have a feeling that something else is out there?"

This caused the kunoichi to tense.

"You sense something, milady?"

Senhime was staring into the dark void with a perturbed look on her face. At this hour, it was difficult to make much sense of the shadows, but when her intuition spoke it was difficult to ignore. Something else was definitely out there. She could feel it.

_Daitsuren_ gleamed in the dark making her anxious.

"No…no, it can't be…are you sure?" she mumbled under her breath in disbelief. Her eyes darted from the demon sword to the depths down below.

"What? What is it?" Kimigiku pressed.

Senhime grew deathly still as a wind stirred the trees, letting shafts of light penetrate the forest. Moving with slow predatory grace, she shifted into her true form. Her pale features glowed in the fading light. When she fixed the kunoichi with her golden gaze, Kimigiku had a clear indication of what danger lurked in the shadows.

"Draw your sword, Kimi-chan," Senhime bade her quietly, "There's a pureblood in our midst."

* * *

**A/N**: Phew, what a busy chapter. I really tried to invoke that choppiness of a well-edited battle scene, but hopefully it wasn't _too_ choppy. Okita's duel with the Red Demon got cut for the next chapter, so don't worry! We'll see his side of things as he finishes Yuu Sugitani.

To get geared up for Chizuru's first major fight scene with Hijikata, I drew inspiration from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill series and subsequently fell in love with the soundtrack. Also, the part where Hijikata and Chizuru perform their complex maneuver was inspired by Gintoki and Katsura's fight scene in the first Gintama movie.

Here is the song that helped inspire this chapter:

Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood – Santa Esmeralda

Thank you _so_ much for reading and for writing those wonderfully encouraging reviews. More is on the way.

girliebird


	22. Rendezvous

**Chapter Twenty Two: **_**Rendezvous**_

* * *

Souji Okita felt his heels drag along the dirt road, bits of gravel crunching loudly under his feet. His eyes were locked on the emaciated face just inches from his own, boring holes into twin shadows. Yuu Sugitani was bestowing him with a sinister look, gnashing his teeth together as he pooled all his weight into the stalemate of their katana.

"It seems we've reached an impasse," declared Yuu in a rough voice. "We have been at this for quite some time now."

"Yes…and this is starting to get boring."

The assassin barked laughter.

"Oh, you think so, huh? Well…this is no good. No good at all. One of us _has_ to bend or else this will never get interesting."

Yuu dipped forward, forcing Okita back, but the trickster swordsman doubled the pressure, twisting every muscle in his body.

"Bend? I intend to snap you in two." He replied. "I intend to crush you so thoroughly; there will be nothing left but the dust of your bones."

Having said that, the scent of blood and sweat began to mingle in the tight space between them making Okita feel dizzy. Although the Rasetsu curse gave him unimaginable power, his consciousness was beginning to slip into a state of frenzy. It was almost too much. The presence of blood elicited a burning thirst in the base of his throat, and it was all he could to maintain control.

_I have to end this. Now._ He thought with growing annoyance.

The assassin was tiresome.

Yuu adhered to a quasi-swordsmanship style that Okita found unpredictable. Though this was amusing at first, he grew increasingly frustrated with the assassin's antics. His strokes were arranged in such a way that Okita had to stay light in his feet or else risk getting slashed. There was hardly a chance for solid footing which he desperately needed for his own personal swordsmanship style. It was like having a one-sided conversation, and how much fun was that?

The assassin was testing his patience. He tended to sway on the fringes of the duel, bating Okita with his flourishes only to withdraw from the captain's responding counterattack. His evasion was maddening.

Okita did what he did in every duel. He took his time learning his opponent. He tested their reflexes, studied their strokes, and pinpointed any faults. This assessment required a little trickery, sure, but it always culminated in a final form of attack. By then, it was all about the economy of the sword.

Eliminate the opponent in a single stroke - a samurai's true test of mastery.

Yuu had no mastery and Okita was passed the trickery.

All he wanted now was to finish Yuu as quickly and painfully as possible.

Mustering his strength, Okita pushed away from Yuu to free his sword. The two repelled each other, sliding several feet apart. Okita crouched low to the ground with a knee bracing his chest, as Yuu pawed at the road in his own retraction, leaving finger tracks deep in the dirt.

As the dust settled, both resumed to their feet.

"I suppose I should kill you now," sighed Yuu. "Though…if you weren't so hell-bent on my demise, I would offer you a place in my service. I could use a demon like you."

"I only serve one man."

"Yes, and he is a weak one at that."

"_Enough_." Okita growled. "Let's end this."

"So be it. The final test is upon us. Who will win this fight, I wonder?" Yuu queried. "The demon _with_ the heart or the demon _without_ the heart?"

There was a moment of pause. Okita watched his rival switch sword hands, and almost smiled as the katana came to rest in Yuu's left hand. The killing stroke was upon them at last and Yuu had turned out to be a left-handed wielder. How marvelous. The trickster swordsman thought of Hajime Saito and their many duels at headquarters. What a stroke of luck.

Okita had yet to beat the master swordsman, but even so, he had invested a healthy chunk of time familiarizing himself with such an opponent. If he waited until the last second and pivoted ever so slightly on his foot…the captain narrowed his eyes in thought…yes…If he put together the right sequence, the right combination of moves, he had a chance of ending this standoff.

Okita allowed the corners of his mouth to curl.

"The answer to that question should be obvious, Reaper-san," said Okita. "All great villains have a heart."

He fell into stance, confident in his plan of action.

Planting his feet flat against the ground, he prepared to bolt.

But it was in this critical moment that the Rasetsu curse chose to constrict painfully in his chest, depriving the air from his lungs. Okita's vision blanked in a burst of light before he began to see spots.

_Dammit! No! Not now!_

He grabbed his mouth in a desperate attempt to stem the coughing, but it was far too late.

_You humans can be so bold, especially when you think you have power. Well let me clue you in on a little secret, Okita-kun. You may be a fake imitation, but that does not rid the fact that you will die from your disease. I lied when I said it would reverse your illness. It can't._

Kaoru's words clamored in his mind, and unrelenting curse.

Okita crumbled into a coughing fit that robbed him of his concentration. It seized his whole body. Moisture filled his mouth and he had no choice but to vomit blood right out onto the road. All this, and directly in front of Ryōshu no Satsujin.

Yuu watched his struggle with an incredulous gape.

"Eh? What's this? Are you ill, Okita-san?"

The captain swiped his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to regain his bearings.

"I can't believe this…and here I thought you might actually have a chance at beating me. Hah!"

The sound of Yuu's delight chafed his ears.

"Well, well this _is_ a dramatic turn of events. You've been holding out on me, my friend."

The man in black approached him. Confident and casual, his feet padded swiftly across the short distance with sword drifting low near the ground. The captain sensed his approach, but he was still caught in the tremors of vertigo. Feeling around for the hilt of his katana, he heard something skid across the dirt and _tsk_ed.

As the sharp edge of Yuu's sword slipped underneath his chin, Okita he knew he was in trouble.

"You're not a demon, are you?" The skeleton observed in mock disappointment. "All this bravado, all this promise, and you end up being just as weak as your commander. Such a pity."

Anger took hold of Okita, as he lifted burning red eyes.

"I shall end your unfortunate existence," said Yuu. "A demon with a heart has no place in this cruel world. Consider this an honorable farewell, my friend."

An explosion erupted on the other side of the road - a bright flash of light that could only be a derivative of Chizuru's demon power being manifested and destroyed on impact. Yuu took a cautious step backwards as one of the pine trees lining the path creaked in a rapid rush to the ground. It hit the road with a resounding _smack_ before a cloud of dust burst into the air.

Okita was struck with a moment of clarity.

Jumping to his feet, he snaked around the assassin and snatched his left wrist. Lifting a leg to his chest, Okita kicked Yuu between the shoulder blades, succeeding in dislocating his sword arm. Yuu shouted in pain, the grip of his sword slacking just enough for the captain to snatch it by the hilt. With the sword in his possession, Okita flung Yuu onto the road and watched him land flush against the shallow outcropping of the road.

It was then that a fully Rasetsu Okita approached the fallen man, but his face was smooth without its characteristic fox grin. He dropped his chin, letting his brow be lost underneath snowy, white hair, as his eyes burned a deep burgundy.

Economy of the sword.

Clean.

Simple.

"Evisceration, right?" He purred.

Yuu didn't have a chance to respond before Okita plunged the katana straight through his stomach. The assassin thrashed in the throes of death, wrapping fingers around the base of the sword as he garbled curses at the captain, but Okita ripped it out punitively. A gush of blood followed the steel, emptying out onto the road. Within seconds the Red Demon subdued, as death finally claimed him.

Okita pulled back.

His lungs hitched tenderly from the exertion, but he did not let it stop him from reveling in victory.

Kondou was alive and his assassin was dead.

"Thank you," he whispered to no one in particular, letting Yuu's sword slip from his fingers.

The Rasetsu curse began to recede as Okita's anger morphed into quiet reflection. His vision which had been tainted red for several hours now cleared enough for him to see the rich greens and violets of his surroundings. Glancing around, he was surprised to see the amount of death strewn across the road. He had been so focused on his duel with the Silver Reaper; he had missed all the commotion around him.

By the looks of things, Chizuru had been busy.

He saw the charred ends of the tree where it had been split from its base. The massive thing had landed horizontally across the road, claiming several victims in its descent. Pine needles and chips of tree bark laid everywhere. Okita had to cover his mouth with a sleeve to keep from breathing in the remaining dust.

It was on the other side of the tree that the captain caught sight of Chizuru and Hijikata. They were both standing for which Okita was grateful, but he noticed that the lieutenant had a protective arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders. Chizuru was standing in her demon form with the eerie blue sword in her grasp, but she appeared fatigued.

The captain remembered his burning curiosity.

Just moments prior to their rescue launch, the two had regrouped with the Recovery Division in the most perplexing manner. Horseless and on foot, they materialized in a burst of leaves with a demoness, kunoichi and an entire shinobi taskforce in tow. Their spontaneous arrival had shocked everyone, especially when Senhime and Kimigiku appeared in full battle dress with their people standing bellicose behind them.

"_Hijikata-san, Yukimura-kun…what is the meaning of this?"_ Yamazaki had ventured warily. "_We have been searching everywhere for you._ _Where have you been all this time?"_

"_We ran into some trouble while escaping the fire. A legion of Rasetsu. These two came to our aid."_ Hijikata had explained with a brief glance at the pair. _"Their scouts have located Kondou's convoy. If we are to intercept the enemy, we need to move now. There will be time for explanations later."_

It was at that moment that Chizuru had stepped out from behind Hijikata and exposed her true demon form. Moving with deliberate purpose, she approached the first division captain and presented him with his short sword.

"_Thanks for letting me borrow this, Okita-san."_ She had said as she handed it to him. _"You were right. I was able to get my sword back."_

She said her words carefully, making sure the captain understood her implication.

Kaoru had appeared, and if what Hijikata said was true…he came with a fleet of Rasetsu.

_This is not good_, he thought. _If Koudou is indeed manufacturing Rasetsu, then the Shinsengumi has more than a revolution to overthrow…_

Okita picked up his katana from the road and replaced it in its sheath.

Sparing a final glance at the assassin, the captain moved in the direction that the two had disappeared.

It was time for an explanation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It didn't take him long to fall into step behind the Demon Vice Commander and Chizuru Yukimura.

They were travelling at a steady pace, heading straight for the riverbank where everyone had agreed upon as the designated rendezvous. Kondou and the others would be there already. Most of the Shinsengumi taskforce had vacated the road to regroup with their leading commander, and the captain hadn't seen many shinobi lingering in the shadows either. No doubt they were eager to rejoin their mistress, Senhime.

Racing through the dark underbrush, he slipped through a pair of ferns and appeared at Chizuru's side.

"What's this? Rushing off without me?" He announced his presence. "Chizuru-chan, I'm hur –"

Okita's vision blurred, as he experienced an extreme bout of whiplash.

Chizuru had moved so fast, he was completely caught off guard as he found himself pressed against the trunk of a nearby tree. The impact was firm. Chizuru had barreled into his chest to knock him off balance. The rough tree bark dug through his silk shroud like a pair of teeth, and the captain found himself grateful for the metal breastplate protecting his flesh.

Angling her sword so that it fell just short of his nose, Chizuru fixed him a feral gaze.

In that single, hair-splitting second, Okita tensed.

"Hey, easy _easy_. It's okay." He coaxed her gently. "It's me! Your handsome friend, Souji Okita. Remember?"

"_Okita?!_" She hissed, mortified.

Realizing it was a comrade trapped at the other end of her wakazashi, Chizuru withdrew immediately.

"What were you _thinking_?" She scolded. "Don't you ever sneak up on me like that! I could have hurt you."

"Duly noted," intoned the captain as he rubbed his nose gingerly.

How in the world had Chizuru Yukimura become capable of catching the notorious trickster swordsman of the Shinsengumi unawares?

This would take some getting used to, thought Okita. He was going to have to step up his game.

His eyebrows twitched wryly at the thought.

"If you still have so much fight left in you, Oni-sama, why leave the battle so soon? You could have come rescued me."

"I knew you were right behind us, Souji," said Hijikata over her blond head, eyeing the captain with a mixture of anger and relief.

Okita paused as his thoughts rushed to the last time he had been in the presence of the oni-fukuchou, and he realized the way they had parted on unfavorable terms. Hijikata's wariness was to be expected. The captain had taken quite a few liberties as of late, starting with abandoning his mission with Sannan.

"Don't be upset with me, Hijikata-san." He implored. "We saved Kondou, didn't we? Our plan – it worked. And you _did_ say evisceration. I know my track record hasn't been all that great, but I do try to follow orders sometimes."

"When it suits you," the oni-fukuchou quipped.

Okita offered him a sharp smile to which Hijikata simply huffed.

"You did well, Souji," he allowed, albeit reluctantly. "That man deserved it."

_What a strange day this is turning out to be_, the captain mused. _Chizuru is doing the thrashing and Hijikata is doing the praising. Am I the one hallucinating?_

The captain chuckled.

"What is it, Okita-san?" Chizuru asked.

"Oh…nothing."

He continued walking in the direction they were headed in, keeping his musings to himself.

"Souji, when you were fighting Yuu…did he give away any crucial information?" Hijikata questioned the captain. "Did he say anything about Itou Kashitarou or the rebellion?"

At this, Okita lost a portion of his good mood.

"He loved the sound of his voice so much, I had to tune him out after a while." He complained. "But he did mention a seize over Akahori castle. The rest of his group is stationed there where they have the Shin family imprisoned. Did you notice how the arrows were fletched with red feathers?"

"Akahori arrows," Hijikata nodded. "They're leeching resources from the estate."

"It's worse than that. They've been tasked with taking over trade routes north of the river." The captain elaborated. "Yuu's plan – a he described so precisely - was to present Akahori to the Satsuma Clan."

"An embargo..." Hijikata stated, growing pensive. "That would shut us off completely from the north."

Okita nodded.

"It would seem that our dear comrade Itou wishes to keep us in Kyoto."

"What I want to know," the lieutenant continued, "is how he's coming up with the finances for this war. Those were imperial swords we fought against back there."

"He's a military advisor." Okita hunched his shoulders matter-of-factly. "Stratagem and financial patronage are one in the same thing as far as Itou's concerned. He probably has a collection of wealthy benefactors…or…" The captain paused as a thought struck him, "or maybe just one very powerful benefactor."

The air grew suddenly thick.

Hijikata and Chizuru both slowed their steps as they peered at the captain.

"You don't think-?"

"He's formed an allegiance with-"

"Koudou." Okita finished with absolute certainty. "Koudou Yukimura. I'll bet you anything the doctor is pulling the strings from behind Itou."

Chizuru's face crumpled with shame, as she searched the darkness for answers.

"You really think it's him?" She asked the captain, appearing morose.

"Think about it, Chizuru-chan." Okita urged. "_Who_ has intimate knowledge of the Shinsengumi? _Who_ told Itou about you? _Who_ created those Rasetsu you fought against? _Who_ happens to have a massive vendetta against humanity and all the reason in the world to benefit from this rebellion?"

"Souji, now is not the time," Hijikata advised, glancing at Chizuru with concern.

"No…no, Okita-san has a point." She said. "It could very well be the case. It would be foolish _not_ to consider the possibility."

She slipped her sword back into its scabbard at her hip, and resumed walking; although, far more withdrawn than before. Hijikata shot the captain a scathing look, but Okita was already berating himself for being so blunt.

He had forgotten.

Regardless if Koudou Yukimura was the nation's greatest villain or not, he was still a father figure to Chizuru.

Okita pursed his lips, reminding himself to have a little more tack.

"Chizuru-chan, forgive me. It was a slip of the tongue." He said, hoping to make amends.

"It's alright." She replied evenly. "We have every reason to be cautious."

The three fell silent as they picked their way through the trees. By now the sun had made its full descent into the horizon with only the moon's faint glow to illuminate their path. Despite this, Chizuru was more observant than ever.

"Okita-san, your face is still bleeding." She cautioned, pointing to the wound on his cheek. "Are you sure you're alright?"

The captain massaged his face and discovered that the wound had yet to congeal. His fingers pulled away dampness, but he quickly wiped it onto his sleeve.

"Never better." He lied. "I would ask you the same, but you seem no worse for wear. In fact…" Okita assessed her quietly with his emerald eyes, even going so far as to slow his pace. "Chizuru-chan…ever since I watched your tournament with Senhime, I've been meaning to ask you…" He jabbed a thumb back where she had almost lopped his nose off. "What you did back there…that was incredible. Your form has grown in leaps and bounds. How is this possible?"

Hijikata seemed equally curious. He shared a look with the inquisitive captain before fixating on the woman strolling briskly between them.

"With _Tsundora_," she stated simply.

"_Tsundora_? You mean your short sword?"

Okita eyed the instrument strapped to her waist.

"Yes. It's a demon blade." She explained. "It's been passed down through the Yukimura family for generations. It's imbued with special powers."

He and Hijikata both grew curious at what that might entail.

"You're telling me this is the same sword you wielded when we were ambushed in the business sector?" The captain asked curiously.

Chizuru nodded.

"What's changed about it?"

She cut her gaze between the two swordsmen, and looked startled by the weight of their intense scrutiny.

Evidently she had said too much for she bit her lip in hesitation.

"Uh…well I… I performed a contract of sorts to awaken its powers." She circumvented. "You know…Demon Arts stuff."

"Oh, _come now_, Oni-sama," Okita goaded impatiently. "You can tell us more than that surely. You can't just go blowing up trees and expect us not to ask questions!"

Chizuru remained silent.

"Souji has a point." Hijikata murmured in a rare show of agreement. "I think it would be good for you to share some information with _us_. It would be instrumental for _us_ to know what you are capable of so that _we_ understand what danger is involved."

Her expression grew troubled as she considered the lieutenant.

Okita found it a bit odd that he was stressing his pronouns too, but was overjoyed with his consent.

"Right! So spill, Chizuru-chan. Tell us everything." Okita hunted her for answers. "What sort of contract does one make to wield a demon sword?"

Chizuru pulled her eyes away from Hijikata and sighed.

"Oh alright," she complied. "Seeing as we are pretty far down the rabbit hole anyway…I suppose I can tell you a little bit." She pinched her thumb and forefinger together for added emphasis.

"To awaken _Tsundora_, I performed a blood seal." She said. "I severed a portion of my chikara into the blade so that we are…bonded."

Chizuru dropped her face suddenly, and picked up the pace. She was unusually quick in her demon form. Marching forward with her hands pinned at her side, Okita and Hijikata were hard-pressed to match her strides. But where she was small, they were tall. They gained on her easily.

"And what is the nature of this bond?" Hijikata questioned, moving his long legs to match hers.

Okita peered at him curiously.

"We are a part of each other."

"And?"

"I can feel its emotions," she offered. "It communicates with me through the bond, making it possible for me to fight with inherent skill."

_Oh, well that makes sense now_. Okita mused as he recalled the way she had spoken to the blade in the aftermath of her tournament. He knew there was something peculiar about the way the blade shimmered, but he had suspected it was just a side effect of Chizuru's power.

_That's not fair…now I want one._ He pouted inwardly. _Chizuru gets to have all the fun._

But that wasn't exactly true, was it? Okita remembered the way Chizuru collapsed into his arms, completely paralyzed as Kaoru disappeared with her wakazashi. He had watched helpless as her face contorted with pain, trying to fight back a scream.

"_That sword carried my essence."_ She had rasped in agony. _"My power…it's been severed."_

"…so that's why you fainted," Okita murmured with new understanding. "That night before the fire…when Kaoru took your sword...it wasn't just to mess with you. He did it to deliberately _hurt_ you."

Chizuru shot him a panicked look and signaled for him to stop.

Damn his loose lips.

Okita clamped his mouth shut, realizing he had just said something he wasn't supposed to, but it was too late now. Hijikata reached out and grabbed a fistful of Chizuru's haori, forcing her to stop.

"Is this true?" He interrogated her severely.

"Hijikata that was _entirely_ different," she said, squirming to free herself from his grip.

"How are you sure?" He responded. "It sounds exactly the same."

"I'm _not_ sure, but you are going to have to trust me! This is something we will figure out in time."

"We don't have time, Chizuru." He argued. "You've already familiarized yourself with the dangers of _one_ blood seal. What makes you think this one is any different?"

She succeeded in freeing herself from his vice and whipped around to confront him.

"We can make this work! I _know_ we can. You are just going to have to trust me."

Okita felt the conversation had fallen right out of his depth.

"Wait a second. Wait a second. You've lost me." He protested; going so far as to interrupt their close-faced argument. "Are we still talking about Chizuru-chan's sword? Because it sounds like you are referring to another contract."

Hijikata grew indecipherable.

"It's none of your business, Souji."

Well, that was extremely telling.

"Chizuru-chan…did you perform _another_ blood seal?" Okita asked her point-blank.

"Yes," she said, staring directly at the glowering lieutenant. "If I hadn't…some of us wouldn't be here right now."

Okita blinked, slowly digesting her words.

"Hijikata-san…is there something you're not telling me?"

"I said it's none of your business."

"Did Chizuru just say you almost died?!"

"Souji!"

"Chizuru-chan, _what_ _in the seven hells happened out there_?"

"_Souji_!"

The lieutenant moved to cuff Okita by the ears, but Chizuru reached out to stop him.

"Hijikata," she spoke quietly. Her golden eyes were fixated on something in the distance.

"Up ahead…" she whispered, "Something's wrong. Everyone's…stopped."

"What do you mean?"

"I think…I think someone is hurt!" She said, alarmed.

The two swordsmen grew anxious at once, as Chizuru took off at a sprint heading straight for a break in the trees. Following close behind, they discovered their grassy footing gave way to a sandy white shore that glimmered like bone marrow under moonlight. A little ways ahead rushed Nori Creek.

It was a beautiful stretch of terrain, Okita thought, as he soaked in the gushing rapids with a dull thirst. What was referred to as a 'creek' looked more like the swollen belly of a river, as it buckled and twisted, flowing south towards the coast. Moist air brushed his cheeks, and he felt it soothe his cuts and bruises– a welcome reprieve after all the dust and dirt from the road.

But he wasn't afforded much time to relax.

Chizuru's keen vision had picked up a worrisome sight indeed.

Straight ahead on the soft shoreline, stood a large group of people near the water's edge. They were pressed into a tight circle – Shinsengumi and shinobi alike – with little space for Okita to see what was the source of their intense distress.

His thoughts immediately flew to Kondou, and he grew agitated, but no, there was the Head Commander standing with Yamazaki and Inoue. They were stationed in the center of the group looking down with collective unease. The sight worried Okita.

_Oh god, who's hurt?_ He wondered. _Senhime? Kimigiku?_

Cutting his gaze through the crowd, he soaked in the haggard, blood-stained faces of the taskforce that had risked everything to save Kondou. Among their ranks, he was able to recognize the tall silhouette of a kunoichi.

Kimigiku seemed a little more ferocious than he remembered, but maybe it was due to the fact that her hair, usually sleek and knotted, fell around her face in chaos. There was a nasty scratch on her arm. Not the shallow bite of a sword, but something far more animalistic. Okita had to narrow his eyes, but even from this range, he could see it was an angry laceration.

Five sharp fingers nails had clawed their way from her shoulder to her forearm.

She was clutching a curved dagger with that arm, seemingly undeterred, as she aimed it at something trapped under her gaze. Directly beside her stood an oni woman as pale as Chizuru who had her arms crossed in a defensive posture. Senhime sounded like she was almost growling as she spoke.

Her golden eyes caught sight of the trio; however, breaking her of her austerity.

"Chizuru! Hijikata! Okita!" She called out. "You made it! Are you guys alright?"

She laced her way through the crowd in order to meet them.

As she drew nearer, Okita could see that she was missing a few metal scales from her war tunic, but was otherwise unhurt. Any wounds she incurred had healed thanks to the oni blood running through her veins.

"Osen-chan, what's going on? Why is everyone so worried?" Chizuru asked the demoness.

"Has something happened?"

"Who's hurt?" Okita added, craning his neck to see.

Senhime threw her hands out to stop them.

"Whoa there," she advised in a soothing tone. "Everybody just _calm down_. Everything is fine. We're all safe."

"Senhime-san, explain," ordered the oni-fukuchou.

The demoness took a breath, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Kimi-chan and I stumbled on some trouble," she replied, glancing at her pupil. "Chizuru…try to remain calm, okay?"

"Me? Why?"

"We…we think we found someone you might know."

Senhime turned around and signaled for the band of samurai and shinobi to pull back. As they retracted, letting the circle morph into a crescent, Okita dropped a curse.

There, resting on his knees with body heavily fastened in coils of cable rope was the conniving, smiling, and wholesomely devilish Kaoru Nagumo.

"Hello Chizu-chan." He smirked.

Oh _hell_ no.

Okita and Hijikata stepped out to protect Chizuru at once, creating a barrier with their bodies as they withdrew their swords. The motion was direct and in perfect tandem. Hijikata shielded her right as Okita shielded her left. Both were of the same mind, as they glared at the pretentious oni. One wrong move and the Nagumo kid was dead.

Chizuru wedged her fingers through their arms, gently forcing them apart.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'm not afraid."

Taking calm, cautious steps toward the captive, Chizuru donned an emotionless mask as she assessed her beaming sibling. It was very unlike her to be so cold, so stoic, so thoroughly removed. Tension mounted in the air with each stride she took, but the group had fallen victim to a palpable uncertainty that paralyzed them as they watched the Yukimura twins reunite.

There was a crushing silence. Nothing but the rush of Nori Creek filled the night air, a faint battle drum in the distance.

Chizuru came to stand before her brother, and for a moment everything ceased.

"Hello Kaoru," she said.

Then she did what Okita thought he would never see in a million years.

She cocked back a fist and punched him.

* * *

**A/N: **I can't tell you how gratifying it was to write that last sentence. I hope it brought a smile to your face as much as it did mine.

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

Taiko Shuffle – Shogun II: Total War (Okita/Yuu scene)

Kabuki Gomen-Jyo (Japanese Drums) - Wadaiko Matsuriza

Brightwall – Russell Shaw (Okita/Chizuru/Hijikata scene)

Lord Faa, King of the Gyptians – Alexandre Desplat (Chizuru/Kaoru scene)

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, you guys. Can you believe this story is 5 months old? I've never written anything this long in my _life_ \- and certainly not within 5 months. But here I am, planning the second installment and it's all because of you. For that, I want to wish you a heartfelt _thank you_.

More on the way.

girliebird


	23. The Alliance

**Chapter Twenty Three: **_**The Alliance**_

* * *

Chizuru had no idea what compelled her to punch Kaoru, but there was something immeasurably satisfying in the way her knuckles burrowed deep into his cheek. Pooling all of her pent-up frustration in that single blow, she sent Kaoru flying into Kimigiku's legs with vehemence so potent, it left her feeling stunned.

She took a step back.

Whoa.

She had no idea it would feel so…so _good_ to punch someone. It was…how would she describe it?

_Exhilarating_.

Power and fury and satisfaction all rolled up into one culminating moment.

It was like drinking fresh air after years of stagnation!

She flexed her fingers, taking a sharp breath through her teeth.

"That…was for trying to have me killed," she said, smoothing the folds of her haori.

Kaoru struggled from his place in the sand, writhing awkwardly, but he somehow managed to upright himself without the use of his arms. Stooping his head low over his chest, he deposited a healthy amount of silt from his mouth and grimaced. She could see his face was already beginning to swell, but it did little to stop the sadistic amusement from lighting his features.

"Your demon form…suits you well, Chizu." He coughed. "I see the family temper has not escaped you."

"Where is Koudou?" She questioned him darkly, her patience at its end. "Is he in league with Itou Kashitarou?"

Kaoru squinted an eye. "Who?"

"Itou Kashitarou!" She snapped. "Is it true that Koudou is conspiring against the Shogunate?"

Her brother chuckled feebly, shaking his head.

"It seems the family madness has not escaped you either."

Chizuru's vision turned red with rage, just as the cavity of her chest filled with a hot fire.

How dare he have the audacity to insult her! How dare he smile after everything he put her through!

Chizuru moved to strike him again, only this time she would make sure to wipe that infuriating smirk off his face. Drawing back her fist, she watched her brother cower in fear as she prepared to swing.

Slim fingers enclosed over her hand, trapping her fist, as she found herself staring into a bullion gaze.

"That's enough, Chizuru!" Senhime spoke sternly. "You need to calm down. Your senses have been overstimulated from all the commotion. You don't want to risk losing control, understood?"

She placed a finger on Chizuru's forehead and forced her back into her human form.

"There, that should make you feel better."

Chizuru was ruffled, feeling absolutely confused, as she readjusted to her human senses. Groggy and unfocused, she blinked her eyes, and began to see the red tinge fade from her vision as it was restored to normal. What rage that had threatened to consume her slowly began to ebb away.

It left her feeling troubled.

Glancing at the crowd that had grown unnaturally silent, she paled from their shocked expressions.

"Well," said Okita, appearing pleasantly stunned, "That's one way of throwing a punch."

"A _good_ punch," Inoue amended.

"Exactly who taught her how to do that?" Yamazaki questioned, cutting suspicious eyes to the others.

Hijikata tilted his head in silent appraisal. He was still at odds with this new Chizuru…

It was the Head Commander who cleared his throat, bringing attention to the prevailing issue at hand.

"Yukimura-kun, perhaps you can explain how you know this…individual," he suggested, flickering his eyes between the two identical faces with open consternation. It was unsettling to witness Chizuru act out in violence, but to exact it one someone who shared her likeness...it was _baffling_.

Who was this stranger?

Chizuru regained her composure, but kept a firm hand planted on her wakazashi.

She knew not to trust the demon, even in his weakened state.

"This is Kaoru Nagumo, my twin brother," she explained. "In your absence, Kondou-san, I was reacquainted with Kaoru and learned of a horrendous plot….We have reason to suspect Koudou Yukimura of collaborating with Itou Kashitarou. He's raising a Rasetsu army."

She spared a cold glance at her sibling before adding, "Shortly after we were ambushed by Yuu Sugitani's men, and apprehended by Kazama, Kaoru ordered a legion of Rasetsu to attack Hijikata and I before we were rescued by Senhime. He is an enemy."

Her explanation; although painfully straightforward, raised several expository questions.

"This is your _brother_?"

"You were attacked by Rasetsu?"

"Kazama appeared? When?"

"Yukimura-kun…this is a very serious allegation." Kondou directed above the outrage, using a hand to motion for silence. "Are you _certain_ your father is behind this?"

He was staring at her with such asperity; she knew he was deliberating over how she could accuse her father so easily. But it _wasn't_ easy. Chizuru was suppressing her emotions, feeling quite hollow inside, as she faced the awful truth.

"Koudou Yukimura is not my father." She declared flatly, dropping sullen eyes to the ground. "I have been placed under a mirage that has kept my own identity secret from me….He is my uncle."

"Your…uncle…"Kondou echoed.

There was a sudden peel of laughter.

"_Ah ha_! So you're finally acknowledging the truth!" Kaoru gloated triumphantly. "I was beginning to worry, Chizu. I was beginning to worry that there was no cleverness in that dimwitted brain of yours. It sure took you long enough, didn't it?"

Kimigiku rested her dagger against the demon's throat and shot him a warning look out the corner of her eye.

"Quiet, Nagumo," she growled.

"How's your arm, kunoichi?" He baited her with flashing copper eyes. "Did I scratch deep enough?"

"I said _quiet_."

Chizuru observed him in mild abhorrence.

"Why? Why would Koudou-san do such a thing?" Kondou persisted. "What reason does he have to create a Rasetsu army?"

"He intends to use Chizuru to control them," said Okita, as he approached the bound captive, stalking him predatorily. "Isn't that right, Kaoru? The doctor wants Chizuru to take her rightful place as Head and restore the clan. The Rasetsu are intended to replace the family you've lost."

"That's none of your business, blood wraith!" Kaoru hissed at the captain. "But what does it matter? Chizuru will _never_ become Clan Head – not _now_ after she's turned her back and betrayed her own family."

_Oh, __**I'm**__ the traitor_? She seethed, trembling with indignation.

"Actually," Senhime refuted, "Chizuru has every right to become Clan Head. The Yukimura bloodline is matriarchal which means the line of succession falls to a _female_ heir. By tradition – so long as Chizuru lives – her claim supersedes yours, Nagumo."

Kondou and Hijikata both glanced at Chizuru for confirmation of this fact, but her attention was already focused on Senhime, a look of silent shock arresting her features.

"_S-sorry_?" She mouthed.

_Her_? Head of the Yukimura? Ruler of the Eastern Demon Clan? Was it true?

Chizuru's stomach turned over as she felt a heavy weight drop on her shoulders.

She knew her status as a pureblood gave her some measure of import, but she would have _never_ suspected that she was the missing link to the Yukimura Clan's resurrection. If this was true – which she knew it had to be if Senhime was validating it – then that would mean she was of the same level in prominence as…as…_Chikage Kazama_!

Chizuru flinched from the thought, momentarily stunned by the idea.

_This changes everything, _she thought in sudden realization.

Kaoru's monologue in the hollow (which had initially sounded deranged and fanatic) quickly began to make sense as Chizuru surveyed her recent past. There had been sibling jealousy. Kaoru had threatened to take her place on a throne, standing in as the true successor to the clan. He had made mention of her gender; that Koudou preferred her over him, but she had thought it was a matter of familiarity. Koudou had raised her as his own child. Kaoru was a far more distant relation. It would only be natural to trust the one he was closest to. But then again…that didn't make much sense either.

If the doctor had truly trusted Chizuru, then why would he have abandoned her? What purpose was there in suppressing her memories? Why did he choose to leave her all alone in Edo when it was his intention to use her as part of his conspiracy all along?

_Why didn't you tell me the truth_?! She wanted to demand the doctor.

And then it struck her – the answer to all of her questions.

Like a drop of ink, it manifested in her mind, staining her conscious with black ooze until it tarnished all other thoughts from existence. Chizuru's mouth went dry, making it difficult to swallow the lump in her throat, as she came to a troubling conclusion.

Koudou had engineered a conspiracy – and like all conspiracies, there were only two roles a person could play. Within the framework of such a plan, one could either be an accomplice or a pawn. Both were essential to the success of the plan, but the distribution of power was severely imbalanced. The accomplice had knowledge and power. They were given control over various facets of the plan, working closely with the conspirator. The pawn; however, was nothing more than a mere instrument – a person used for the benefit of another. The pawn's role did not require knowledge or power; they simply needed to be the vessel to the conspirator's manipulation.

Chizuru's blood ran cold as she pieced it all together.

Kaoru was undoubtedly the accomplice…which made her –

"The pawn," she spoke faintly, looking horrified.

"Even so, Koudou would never recognize her," Kaoru spat at the demoness angrily, pulling Chizuru from her disheartening thoughts. "He would rather have a nephew ascend the throne than a defective niece. You know just as well as I do that she is no longer whole."

Chizuru recoiled from her twin brother, feeling exposed.

Could it be possible that he was able to sense the rift in her power from the blood seal?

The way his eyes purposefully flashed between her and Hijikata told her yes, yes he most certainly did.

Kaoru lifted his chin, setting lofty eyes on the lieutenant.

"A pureblood bonded to a human has no claim to anything. You of all people should know this, Senhime-san," he purred, cutting his gaze back to the demoness. "It was your own ancestor, Suzuka Gozen that fell in love with a human, yes? She tried to turn her back on oni society and elope with a human samurai. It's a romantic story – I'll admit – but I don't ever recall it having a happy ending…Wait! What am I saying?" He chuckled at his own mishap, "it _couldn't_ have, or else you wouldn't be heir to the Gozen Clan."

Senhime appeared stoic, but there was a cold fury blazing in her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was disconcertingly soft.

"Do not address me about my history, Nagumo." She intoned. "I know perfectly well the ramifications for such a union, but do not presume for a moment that your pureblood stature has any power over Chizuru. She _is_ the rightful heir, regardless."

"Says who? You and your measly tag team of warriors?" Kaoru ridiculed as he perused the crowd skeptically. "Samurai? Shinobi?" He _tsk_ed. "You have cast your luck with a dismal lot, Chizu. If you had come to Koudou willingly, we would have protected you."

"You would have _imprisoned_ me, is what you mean!" She shot back, clenching her fists tightly at her side. "Koudou had no intention of revealing my true identity, did he? His plan was to keep me in the dark, exploit my seat of power, and_ use_ me as nothing more than a proxy for his revenge –"

"– Yes." Kaoru replied simply. "But you would have been a safe proxy."

Chizuru felt a stab of betrayal run through her, and it was almost too powerful for her to handle. Her palms grew sweaty and she experienced a shortness of breath. She felt nauseous and lightheaded, furious and petrified, confused and corroborated. All these emotions sprang from the deepest crevices of her being, unable to remain hidden any longer.

To think the extent of her uncle's manipulation would run so deep…that he would impel her ignorance so thoroughly…that she would forever be subjugated under his control…it was dehumanizing. The vilest thing a person could contrive on another living being.

It changed her opinion of the doctor completely.

"But as I said…none of it matters anymore," Kaoru sighed, watching her condition deteriorate with mild contentment. "You're useless to us now."

The group stirred, parting ways to make room for a dangerous Hijikata as he strolled slowly to the center of the gathering. Coming to stand beside Chizuru, he angled his body in a protective stance while flourishing his katana with killing finesse.

"Kaoru Nagumo," he addressed the demon in a dark, cruel voice. The sound of it pulsed with anger, promising plenty of torture and pain.

"Take a look around you." He said quietly. "You are surrounded by men and women who would end your life without hesitation. The only reason you still draw breath is out of respect for Chizuru. It is to her that you must appeal for mercy…Do not forget that."

Kaoru made a grand show of cracking his jaw.

"Merciful indeed."

"Grrrrraaaah!"

Okita growled.

Swishing his katana so that it whistled in the night air, he pinned Chizuru with furious green eyes.

"Just say the word." He begged her. "Just say the word, and I'll end this!"

"Wait, Okita-san! Let's not be rash." Senhime gushed, bidding him to stop. "Kaoru may be an enemy, but he is our only direct tie to Koudou. If we kill him now, our advantage is lost."

"So we _make_ him talk," Okita responded, keeping his attention on the demon, "We gather everything he has to say and we get rid of him afterwards. It's the information that's valuable. Not him."

"Okita-san," Senhime yowled in warning.

"Relax. This happens to be one of my many talents." He assured her with a treacherous grin.

Kaoru's eyelids flickered.

"Is that so?" He whispered. "Well then…perhaps I should show you one of _mine_."

It all happened so fast.

The smile on Okita's face evaporated as he felt his spine go rigid of its own accord. It straightened unnaturally to align itself, each segment stacking into place until his head was fully erect on his shoulders. Unable to breathe, unable to move, the captain felt phantom vices take hold of his being like the strings of a marionette. He was completely paralytic. His vision and senses were still intact, but he was powerless from stopping his arm from lifting his sword and dropping it fast over Senhime's head.

"_NO_!" He shouted in protest.

"_Milady_!" Screamed Kimigiku.

Senhime dodged the fatal blow, but caught the tail end of it at her shoulder. The metal screeched against her scaled armor, producing white sparks.

"Souji! _What are you doing_?!" Hijikata roared in confusion, moving forward to shield Chizuru.

Okita jerked forward as if some invisible force was tugging at his hands and feet. The power of it threw his head back painfully, causing him to gag. When three shinobi warriors stepped in to protect their demon mistress, he slashed and swiped at them indiscriminately.

Chizuru gasped. Grabbing Hijikata's arm, she pointed a finger at her brother.

"It's Kaoru! _Look_! He's using Hex Gaze!"

Sure enough, there was a metallic sheen to Kaoru's brown eyes, as he fixated on Okita with intense concentration.

Caught in the scuffle, Senhime took hold of Okita's sword with her bare hand, cringing as it cut deep into her skin. The injury would heal in a flash, she knew, but it was Okita she was more worried about. The bewitched swordsman was as stiff as a board, his face exceeding pale from lack of oxygen, as he struggled for air. He was producing a horrible wheezing sound that indicated to Senhime that his lungs were being immobilized. Kaoru was slowly suffocating him from within.

"KIMI-CHAN! STOP HIM!" Senhime ordered the kunoichi fiercely. "PLEASE! HE'S _KILLING_ HIM!"

Kimigiku jammed the hilt of her dagger into Kaoru's skull, successfully knocking him unconscious. His laughter ceased rather abruptly, as he slumped into the sand, freeing Okita from his control.

"Souji!" Kondou cried out as he raced over to the captain. Yamazaki and Inoue followed closely behind.

Okita dropped his katana and retreated from the demoness, clutching his throat.

"Senhime…I didn't mean…I couldn't control…are you hurt?" He faltered, trying to catch his breath.

His green eyes were wide and shaky.

"I'm alright," she said, wincing a little. "I'll be all better in a moment. Just taken by surprise is all."

She cradled her shoulder with her hand, but showed no further signs of distress.

"I didn't think he had it in him," she confessed with a troubling look at the unconscious demon. "His chikara levels were nearly depleted. There was no way he could have done what he just did."

"What _was_ that?" He asked her, thoroughly disturbed.

"Hex Gaze," she replied. "You were being controlled by demon glamor."

Okita frowned, unsure of how he felt about that.

"We should blindfold him," offered Kimigiku as she dusted her hands with a scowl. "I wouldn't hold it passed him to try it again. He's a nasty piece of work."

"Good thinking, Kimi-chan. His power will replenish, and we don't want to be caught unprepared," agreed Senhime.

The kunoichi held out a hand and was immediately handed a piece of black silk from one of the surrounding shinobi. Folding the thick strip in half, she began to wrap this around Kaoru's face like a strange turban, knotting it from behind.

Picking up Okita's discarded sword, Senhime held it out to him hilt first.

"I would keep this close by if I were you." She advised.

He took it from her gingerly.

"Erm…Thanks."

"So now what?" Piped up Yamazaki from his place beside the Head Commander. He was peering at the demoness who seemed to be the only person in the group capable of shedding some light on their present situation.

"What does all of _this_ mean?" He gestured around him loosely.

Senhime took a moment to collect her thoughts before answering.

"It means, Yamazaki-san, that we have reached a conundrum," she said gravely, straightening her shoulders. As she did so, another metal scale came loose from her tunic and she tossed it over her shoulder with a sigh. "Koudou Yukimura poses a threat to us all. If he is indeed collaborating with Itou Kashitarou and amassing an army of Rasetsu, then we must proceed with extreme caution."

"Yes, I believe you spoke of an alliance," said Kondou.

"About that," she hedged. "Under normal circumstances, demon custom forbids me to engage in human conflict. To do so is strictly forbidden. But…given our current state of affairs, I feel that the Gozen Clan _must_ play a part in overthrowing the rebellion if we are to maintain peaceable relations between the two races. The only feasible way I can go about this; however, is by forming an alliance with Chizuru."

At the mention of her name, Chizuru grew instantly taciturn as all eyes fell on her.

"You wish to make a blood pact." She assumed.

Senhime nodded.

"Our laws are binding. If you should claim your birthright and become Warden of the East, then you would have the authority to overtake Koudou _and_ Kaoru." She explained. "As Clan Head, they would have no choice but to submit to your rule or suffer disfranchisement. As a result, the Rasetsu would fall under your care. I could offer you support in this endeavor."

"But Senhime-san…" said Kondou, sounding worried. "Kaoru has already expressed that the doctor will denounce her claim. She faces opposition."

"It's true. An elder reserves the right to challenge the heir if they suspect ineptitude." Senhime replied solemnly. "But if Chizuru can convince Koudou to acknowledge her as matriarch, it will put this whole operation to a standstill."

"And if she should refuse?" Hijikata asked her with a small frown. "What then?"

At this, Senhime grew dismal.

"As I said, demon laws are binding." She said, lacing her fingers together for illustrative effect. "If an oni clan diverts from the code, it falls to the heir to reestablish the family honor. If the heir should fail in this endeavor…the whole clan is destroyed."

Senhime pulled her fingers apart and turned her eyes on Chizuru.

"Even those branded with a blood seal," she whispered.

Chizuru felt all the air rush out of her lungs.

"_No_…" She gasped in fear.

Hijikata shared her look of dread.

"Wait…now how is _that_ fair?" Okita spoke, voice thick with uncertainty. "Senhime-san, this can't be true. You saw for yourself. Chizuru isn't in league with either of them! She would never condone their actions. She's too moral."

"It doesn't matter." She said, shaking her head miserably. "If Koudou should succeed, the council will see her as a defective ruler and eradicate her bloodline. They will see no distinction between her and her kin no matter how moral she may be."

Okita regarded her incredulously. Picking himself off the ground and retracting from Kondou's support, he moved to stand before her, turning his back on the river.

"But she's a pureblood." He countered. "Pureblood oni are rare, are they not?"

Senhime turned to face him.

"Yes they are. Extremely so. But the removal of one ancestral bloodline will increase the power and prestige of other bloodlines." She huffed irritably. "If the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, the council always rules in favor of itself. I've seen it happen before."

Okita shook his head, his expression caught between bewilderment and contempt.

"You demons are cruel." He said, peering at her strangely.

"Oh?" drawled Senhime, intrigued by the sentiment. "And what makes you humans any different? You kill your own kind in droves."

"With _reason_!" He opposed heatedly. "Our moral code teaches us to vanquish evil and protect the innocent. Your code would subject an innocent person to _death_!"

Senhime moved in a blur of burnished metal and came to stand so close to the trickster swordsman, he could see the pearlescent luster of her skin. Instinctually, his body tensed with caution.

"But don't you see, Okita-san? Chizuru is _not_ innocent." She said. "As successor to a royal bloodline, she carries the legacy of her forbearers. One such as her _cannot_ be passive if her clan is defecting from the code. It is her _obligation_ to reinstate her authority. It is her _responsibility_ to maintain balance. Otherwise, she will fall into ruin!"

Okita stooped low over the demoness, undeterred by her challenging gaze.

"Well now isn't this convenient?" He said, narrowing his eyes judiciously. "Tell me, Senhime-san, did you realize this _after_ you taught her the demon arts, or have you been planning on roping her into this covenant of yours from the very beginning?"

"Are you accusing me of deceit?" She whispered dangerously.

"You wouldn't be the first demon to act on pretense," he shrugged.

Senhime raised her brows, a derisive noise escaping her throat.

Chikara quickly began to crackle in the small space between them, just as Okita realized he was bating a pureblood demon. When it was evident that their heated debate has reached its crossroads, there was a prevalent response from the crowd. Several samurai stepped in to apprehend their captain just as several shinobi stepped in to restrain their demoness. Kaoru's words had tactlessly roused a chaotic frenzy, causing discord among the two parties. Disputes began to erupt in the tight space as everyone struggled to speak above the mounting dissonance.

Chizuru stepped forward.

"I'll do it." She said, voice cracking thinly.

"I don't see why we need your help anyway. We've been doing just fine without you!"

"Oh, is that so? Well _great_ and _powerful_ samurai," Senhime jeered with a sarcastic bow, "where were your brilliant gifts when Hijikata and Chizuru risked drowning in a sea of Rasetsu? Hmm?"

"I was out there searching for them. I would have found them!"

"You would have found them _dead_, you mean."

"Milady, I'm begging you, please!" Kimigiku said urgently, as she grabbed her charge and attempted to tug her away. "Don't fall for his insults. He doesn't know what he's saying!"

"I know exactly what I'm saying," he shot back at the kunoichi hotly. "I'm saying that Senhime is more trouble than she's worth."

"Souji, knock it off. Senhime-san is not the enemy!" Kondou chided the captain disapprovingly.

Again, the voices rose in tone, clashing and colliding in the night air, fighting for understanding. The crowd had grown so focused on the quarrel that no one heeded Chizuru's firm yet quiet acceptance. Even Hijikata had taken a few steps, looking positively irate with the querulous pair.

She has to stop this.

Gathering her courage, Chizuru took a deep breath and roared.

"I SAID I'LL DO IT!" She shouted fiercely, causing everyone to pause in their actions. "I will become the Warden of the East! I'll take back the clan!"

Senhime and Okita both craned their necks, appearing somewhat cheated from a good fist fight. The demoness had two bunches of powder blue silk in her hands, yanking downwards, just as Okita had placed a hand on her forehead in an attempt to push her away.

"If it's within my power to stop Koudou, then I approve of an alliance with the Gozen Clan." Chizuru finalized with a sweeping gesture of her hands. "I consent."

"Chizuru…" murmured Hijikata, taken aback. "Are you sure about this?"

She turned to face him, her expression firm, and eyes burning with vindication.

"I have to be," she said.

Much to her relief, she had won the whole group's attention as she made way to the demoness. Her courage had sparked a shift in the air, a cleansing that brought the group back to its senses. To enhance their unity, she mimicked Hijikata's proud preeminence. She walked purposefully, yet slowly. She held her head high and kept her expression fierce. Rounding on the demoness, Chizuru rested a hand casually on the hilt of her sword and paused.

"Osen-chan," she addressed, "If I take control of the Yukimura Clan, can I count on your help to reinstate my claim?"

Senhime's eyes sparkled in the dark.

"Yes."

Chizuru withdrew _Tsundora_ slowly from its sheath.

"Will you help Kondou Isami and the Shinsengumi overthrow Koudou Yukimura if he should prove instrumental to the rebel cause?" She asked, glancing at the Head Commander.

"Yes." She replied, voice gaining strength.

"And if my life should be forfeited," Chizuru voiced without fear, "will you take full responsibility of all Rasetsu and do everything in your power to save them?"

The demoness glanced at Okita somewhat sourly, but nodded.

"I will." She vowed.

"Then I believe we've reached an agreement."

Something changed in that instant and Chizuru wondered she had slipped back into her Akuma no Sukin. Her senses caught a faint fragrance in the air; it filtered through the cool breeze, coating her tongue with rich notes of temple incense and plum groves. The earthy scent made her breast swell with cognizance, as if she were standing on a cliff overlooking the great abyss.

_Could this be what courage tastes like?_ She wondered.

"Then as of this moment Chizuru Yukimura, you shall proceed as the reigning representative of the Eastern Demon Clan." Senhime announced austerely. "Your blood will forge the contract, which makes it your responsibility to uphold our agreement. Do you understand the burden that is expected of you?"

Chizuru inclined her head.

"Yes I do."

Senhime released Okita, leaving him with a crumpled haori.

"Very well then," She concluded as she came to stand before Chizuru. "Do you remember what to do?"

Nodding, Chizuru split her palm with the edge of _Tsundora_, letting the wound sizzle with chikara before taking hold of Senhime. They clasped hands and the blood pact immediately began to take effect. Thin blue lines crisscrossed around their wrists, looping and looping like a knotted bracelet until the connection became unbreakable. The air around them stirred, creating a powerful gust that set their hair and silk garments in motion.

Chizuru watched as twin signets emblazed into the back of their hands. They were very different from the mark of a blood seal. Thin and wispy like snowflakes with three large dots and a slightly serpentine flair, she could feel the mark etch deep into her skin. But there was no pain, no heat, only a tugging force that linked her closely to Senhime.

The chain intensified, giving one final surge of light before it faded into their skin and out of existence.

"The contract has been made," Senhime murmured with unwavering formality. "As of this moment, the Gozen and Yukimura Clans are now officially allies. Therefore…it is with great honor that I be the first to introduce you as Chizuru-hime, Crown Heir and Matriarch of the Yukimura Demon Clan, Warden of the East."

Taking a few steps back, the demoness slipped into an elegant bow.

"I hope this marks the beginning of a lasting treaty between our houses, Yukimura."

"Milady," Kimigiku acknowledged Chizuru, following Senhime's example with an equally polite curtsy.

"Yukimura-sama," echoed several nearby shinobi as they kneeled before her.

One by one, members of Senhime's shinobi elite took a knee to the ground in an open display of respect. Chizuru watched them all with a quiet sense of foreboding. Raising her gaze to the swollen moon in the night sky, she felt a sheet of air wrap itself around her, chilling her from within.

Dropping her gaze back to the riverbank, she found two shards of amethyst smoldering brightly in the dark.

Her heart began to pound.

"It is done." She whispered.

* * *

**A/N:** When I sat down to right the first draft of this chapter, I had Chizuru very despondent and fearful towards the end – almost reluctant to make the alliance - but then I realized what a disservice it would be to her character development by denying her the chance to shock everyone by expressing her anger and taking a more preemptive role in her situation. She's passed the timid stuff now. Bad Ass Chizuru has arrived at last!

Also…some unexpected friction between Senhime and Okita, yeah? (I'm going to leave that one there to simmer for a bit.)

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

Escape – Russell Shaw

There is a God in You – Ramin Djawadi (Chizuru/Senhime Blood Pact)

On a final note, Hijikata has been awfully quiet these past couple of chapters…

Guys, thank you so much for your encouraging reviews. I read each and every one with the biggest smiles and the loudest sighs of relief. Thank you so much. Also, I've noticed that some of you contribute Hakuouki stories too! My goal is to finish this first installment so that I can start reading some of your work and support you too (If I read and write at the same time, I tend to get my writing styles mixed up. Haha), so be sure to anticipate some reviews on my end in the near future.

More is on the way!

girliebird


	24. Subterfuge

**Chapter Twenty Four: **_**Subterfuge**_

* * *

A fine mist rose from Nori Creek, swallowing every rock and tree within its great path until the forest was nothing more than a blur. The Shinsengumi stood within its swirling depths, feeling just as smothered and uncertain, as they deliberated over their next course of action.

"So what's the plan?" ventured Okita, as an oppressive silence hung over the group. "Do we race back to Kyoto or do we press onwards?"

"The murder of Lord Kazuhiro Shin cannot go unpunished, Souji," answered Kondou. "His people suffer in captivity while ronin wreak havoc on their fortress. It is within our power to stop the rebels and free the Shin family. We should ride for Akahori Castle!"

An emphatic determination took hold of the Commander.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he fixed his leading subordinate with a stern gaze.

"This is my final decision." He imparted to Hijikata.

The lieutenant nodded his agreement, subsequently stirring everyone into action.

"The fortress is two days from here," said Yamazaki as he unfurled a map and spread it across the sand. "There is no other way to reach it without passing into Satsuma land. Lacking the cavalcade, we will be travelling blind."

Senhime assisted him by forming a small crystal sphere in the palm of her hand. Releasing it carefully, she let it hover above the parchment, drawing everyone to its soft, shimmering glow.

"We don't know how much the Satsuma know. Suppose they have scouts?" Hijikata said, as he trained his gaze on the topographic hills surrounding the estate.

Roaming through uncharted enemy lands did not appeal to his usual practicality, but he was in an agreement that the fortress needed to be reclaimed as soon as possible. Itou intended to strike an embargo along the northern front, robbing the Shogunate of its allies. Such a ploy would devastate the capitol once attacked.

They could _not_ to let that happen.

Okita fell smoothly onto his heels, scooping up sand and letting it sift through his fingers.

"Oh, they're aware," He confirmed. "Akahori Castle is meant to be collateral for joining the rebellion."

Hijikata nodded, already mindful of this predicament.

"Did the assassin give you any indication the road was trapped beyond this point?" He asked.

"No. There were only two parties; one stationed in the forest and one near the river."

"Still, that doesn't account for those who managed to escape," Yamazaki pointed out. "Any survivors that return to the fortress will doubtlessly sound the alarm-"

"-which ruins our element of surprise," Hijikata finished with a sigh.

The officers grew silent, contemplating their disadvantage.

"How about a reconnaissance team?" Senhime suggested, glancing to her kunoichi.

Kimigiku mulled over the idea, tapping the flat side of her dagger against her cheek.

"I don't see why not…if it's only for two days," she agreed. "My people can travel ahead and scout for trouble. If the road is trapped – we'll take care of it."

Hijikata found himself trusting her judgment. Despite his misgivings about the pair, Senhime and Kimigiku had proven extremely dexterous in times of need. The shinobi's response rate of locating Kondou and their missing Recovery Division had surpassed his expectations. Furthermore, their field experience transcended typical combat. Kimigiku's kinsmen had developed a unique martial style that could only be the derivative of fighting alongside their demon colleagues for generations. They were more oni than human: fast, nimble, stealthy. The perfect allies for the oncoming war.

"Will you require horses?" Kondou asked the master kunoichi.

She shook her head. "No, we prefer our own methods of travel. Keep the horses. You will need them for speed."

Okita twitched his lips, unable to help himself. "What _are_ your methods of travel then? Using a bit of your sparkly, supernatural kunoichi voodoo?"

Kimigiku scowled at his remark.

"That is highly confidential." She reproved. "Even shinobi have their secrets, Okita-san."

The captain dropped his chin into the palm of his hand, uttering a long-suffering sigh.

"Too many secrets for my taste," he muttered.

There was a sudden gasp, followed by a loud _smack_.

"Secrets!" Kondou boomed excitably. "Souji, you're on to something!"

The captain blinked in confusion. "I am?"

"Yes! You've just given me an idea," he affirmed, pinching his chin in thought. The idea held such substance over the Commander, he started pacing the shore immediately, needing movement, as he formulated his strategy. "It's risky…" he murmured, "normally I wouldn't chance it, but…with our current situation…it may just work."

"What is it?" Hijikata asked.

Kondou lifted a pair of bright eyes further illuminated by the soft glow of demon crystal.

"There are two types of secrets in this world, Toshi." He explained. "Those that are hidden and those that rest in plain sight."

Hijikata frowned, unsure of how this had anything to do their current situation.

The Commander crouched down beside Okita, drawing everyone's attention as he assessed the map.

"If my memory serves me correctly, there's a path _here_," he said as he traced the parchment with his fingers, "It skirts along the edge of the ravine. An old trade route, probably dilapidated by now. If we follow it, there is a pass that will take us directly to Lord Shin's estate."

Hijikata leaned over the two swordsman to get a better view.

"And how do you know this?" He asked.

Kondou met his gaze. "Because it's our only way out of this valley." He said frankly.

What little iota of patience Hijikata still possessed quickly evaporated into the night air.

"Kondou-san, no offense, but this is a _terrible_ idea." He criticized. "How is this secret? It's too obvious!"

"Exactly! _Way_ too obvious. That's what makes it so perfect!" The older man exclaimed, impervious to the lieutenant's disparagement. "We'll be traveling in plain sight, right underneath the enemy's eyes."

"And how do you propose we achieve this feat of invisibility?"

"Because we won't be traveling as the Shinsengumi," answered Okita as he pieced it all together, a cunning smile spreading across his face. "We be travelling as _ronin_."

Overly enthusiastic, Kondou smacked Okita between the shoulder blades so forcefully, it startled the unsuspecting captain straight into a coughing spell. From her place at the map, Senhime snickered.

"Sorry son." Kondou apologized, patting him a little more gently until the coughing subsided. "But you're right. We can use their uniforms as camouflage." He continued. "Disguised as ronin, we'll be able to travel north through the pass with ease. Once we reach the fortress, we'll regroup in order to strike a counter offensive _here_ and _here_ where the land's natural defenses are weakest. What do you say?"

There was a brief pause, as everyone experienced a unanimous aversion to wearing ronin uniforms. The blue silk of the Shinsengumi had become their sacred emblem. To cover it up with the colors of their enemies seemed irreverent to everything they were striving for in this rebellion. But they knew it was their only chance – a precarious chance – but one they would take without complaint.

"How fast do we need to move?" Hijikata inquired, committing himself to the plan.

"As soon as possible," replied Kondou. "If we secure the castle, we can procure reinforcements for Sannan-san and Hajime-kun."

"Then we need to send a messenger to warn them," Hijikata advised, straightening his back. "I have given Saito orders to deter Itou's faction the moment he rescues Heisuke."

"I'll go," offered Yamazaki. "I can travel fast and deliver the news to both divisions."

His words were met with a crushing silence.

"Yamazaki…you will be braving this assignment alone," cautioned Hijikata, giving him room to reconsider.

The Shinsengumi spy appeared unfazed by the prospect.

"This is an acceptable condition." He said with a small shrug. "I can travel much faster alone."

His candor suggested faith in his ability, but even more so, a willingness to sacrifice his life for the sake of the Shinsengumi. It was reckless to be risking a single envoy. If anything should happen to him along the way, word would never reach their comrades in time, snapping their lifeline in two. But… their numbers _were_ hazardous at best, and they were going to need every samurai and shinobi they had if there was any hope of liberating the fortress.

Kondou closed his eyes briefly before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yamazaki-san, we are truly indebted to your service. There is no other man more suitable to the task." He said with poise. "Preparations will be made for your immediate departure." In a softer, more familiar tone, he added, "I do not like this arrangement, but I believe in you. Wait for me and I shall give you further instruction."

Yamazaki nodded.

"Very good, sir."

Inoue, who had remained vigilant until now, stirred from his place beside the spy.

"Kondou-san, we still need time to recover the wounded and the dead," he reminded him gently. "We have men that require Yamazaki's immediate medical attention. He should see to them first before he leaves."

The Commander dimmed, as thoughts of casualty filled his conscious.

"Yes of course." He obliged solemnly. "We have suffered a grievous loss at the hands of the Red Demon. Bushido Law teaches us to prepare for death and to fight with honor, but when our brethren offer their lives for the Way, we must pay tribute to their sacrifice. Tonight, we shall mourn our loss and attend to our wounded. Departure is set for first light."

Inoue inclined his head courteously.

"Then if you will allow me, Commander, I shall begin by organizing camp."

"You are dismissed." He granted. "Yamazaki-san, you may go with him too."

"Yes sir."

The two swordsmen withdrew from the assembly and began issuing orders to nearby soldiers, leaving the rest to attend to one final concern.

"What about _him_?" Okita asked, jutting his chin in the direction of their latest captive.

All heads turned to peer at the huddled mass that was Kaoru Nagumo. Though his face was completely obscured by black silk and his body bound in rope, he had proven himself arbitrarily dangerous enough to warrant four personal bodyguards. Two shinobi and two samurai loomed over him with their weapons held at the ready. The air around them remained static and stifling.

"Yukimura-san?" Kondou beckoned, using her formal honorific.

Lifting his gaze from the map, Hijikata sharpened his focus on the new Warden of the East.

She was standing opposite him with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The blue silk of her uniform flowed in the wind as a deadly caveat of her fight skill, but underneath her facade was a trace of fragility. Faint…but discernable. He could see that her fingers dug too deeply into her shroud for instance, and that her face was slanted at an angle so as to hide behind the dark shadow of her bangs.

She was barring herself against him, avoiding eye contact at all cost. This sudden, timorous behavior completely negated her courage from earlier. The young woman who had shouted with the veracity of a warlord, bringing order to their assembly, had somehow morphed into a discontented shadow – one that darkened with every passing moment.

Her obscurity was setting him on edge, resulting in a frown of displeasure.

If she didn't break from this daze soon, he would gladly close the short distance between them and rouse her out of it himself. But just as he considered abandoning all protocol, going so far as to pull his hands free of his sleeves and take a step in her direction, a sharp wind swooped in and exposed the truth.

She was angry.

Her dark, brown eyes blazed with a cold intensity he had never seen in her before.

From afar, she appeared deeply absorbed in their subterfuge, but from up close, he could see that she was afflicted with intense turmoil. The way her pupils dilated in the light revealed to him that she was transfixed by much more than a set of geographic coordinates.

The heat of her gaze staggered him.

She was a dichotomy: both vulnerable, disconsolate woman and fierce, spirited demon. Her fragility and strength had joined in perfect unison. One could not exist without the other and yield such magnetism over the lieutenant.

As he watched the flames of fury possess her delicate face, Hijikata felt foolish for ever thinking that she was nothing more than a simple wisp of a girl.

This woman had danced across his back, flinging steel at his side in the belly of an ambush. She had stared him directly in the eyes with that bright, intelligent gaze, setting his passionate cravings aflame. She had kissed him so cunningly, the heat of her lips still lingered in his memory like a fever. She was driving him crazy, nestling under his skin with every waking moment, fueling his turmoil.

And if _that_ wasn't enough to capture his interest – shattering a pine tree, holding Okita at sword point, and punching Kaoru squarely in the jaw surely had. She had exhibited such power, such exoneration…even the way she _moved_ as she called Senhime to order to make the blood pact; it was not lost on the oni-fukuchou that she had picked up more than just his bad habits.

Hijikata bristled at the thought, frustration flaring in his chest at his own careless oversight.

Kondou had been right.

Chizuru had morphed into a woman of unparalleled consequence right before his very eyes.

Only now was he able to fully see her.

Withdrawing into his thoughts, Hijikata grew still as the conversation rerouted to the unconscious demon lying in the sand. All eyes rested on Chizuru as she returned the Commander's gaze.

"Yes, Kondou-san?" She asked.

"What would you have us do with Kaoru?" He repeated with the utmost patience.

Hijikata watched her closely, as she considered her sibling.

"We will detain him for now." She answered, voice cold and unfeeling. "That is…until I decide otherwise."

The Head Commander acknowledged her request with a respectful nod before turning to the kunoichi.

"Kimigiku-san, is this feasible?" He asked.

"Yes, Commander," she replied. "We have experience detaining oni. This will not be a problem."

Her confidence served to assuage his doubt.

"Well…that's certainly a relief." He sighed, standing up and rubbing his eyes.

"If we are all in an agreement then, I think I shall go and assist Inoue and Yamazaki," he said, finally surrendering to his exhaustion. "I wish to repair some of the damage that has been caused this night. We will reconvene first thing in the morning. All of you…well done."

Kondou dipped his head gratefully before taking his leave.

They watched as he retreated into the trees with two soldiers flanking his sides. His back was stiff and rigid as he walked, but he moved with purpose. It was this firm determination that kept everyone calm despite the impending danger.

In the Commander's absence, Senhime dissolved the crystal sphere and approached Chizuru.

"Here, you should probably hold onto this." She said, handing her a black, lacquer sheath.

Chizuru recognized it instantly.

"_Fubuki_." She cursed.

Dusting his hands, Okita lifted to his feet in one fluid motion.

"What's that?" He purred with interest. "Another demon sword?"

He appeared behind Chizuru, standing so close; she could feel his breath brushing her hair as he spoke. He was gazing at the sword from over her shoulder with such longing, she knew he desired to study it more closely. The captain's fingers reached out to touch it, but he pulled back his hand in a great show of discipline.

Chizuru frowned at the blade, finding she had no particular desire to keep it.

"Here, _you_ take it." She insisted, shoving it into his hands despite Senhime's squawk of protest.

Okita caught the blade, hugging it close to his chest as if it were a fragile temple offering.

Both swordsman and demoness blinked in shock.

"N-now hold on a second, Chizuru, that's a sacred relic," Senhime panicked, "you shouldn't just –"

"Its fine, Osen-chan." Chizuru waved dispassionately. "It's bonded to Kaoru anyway. I couldn't use it even if I tried. Why not give it to someone who can?"

Senhime opened her mouth to respond, but closed it mutely, a look of exasperation marring her face.

It was Okita who responded first.

"My dear, sweet, lovely Chizuru-_hime_," he serenaded affectionately. "That is the most beautiful thing you've said all evening."

Senhime glowered.

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you!" She schooled him, hoping the curtness of her voice would be enough to deflate his enthusiasm. "A demon sword only awakens for a pureblood, you know."

She tossed her bangs defiantly, but the trickster swordsman was already overcome with dangerous excitement. He stroked his chin in thought, his mind already spinning with diabolical ideas.

"Hmm…we'll see about that…" he murmured. Flicking his eyebrows at her suggestively, he asked, "Why don't we have ourselves a duel and find out?"

Senhime snorted at his invitation. "I would rather strangle you!"

"Ah, ah, ah. The agreement says you have to _ensure_ my safety," he reminded her in mock innocence. "We don't want to break any rules, now do we?"

"Oh, I'm highly capable of giving you a good thrashing without breaking any rules, Souji Okita," she threatened him with a finger at his nose, "of that I can assure you."

For a moment, he seemed enamored with idea of accepting her challenge, peering down at her with hooded eyes, but the sword held his immediate attention. Okita chose to ignore her threat in favor of absorbing himself in the practice of wielding the demon blade. Pulling it from its sheath in a quick draw maneuver, he whistled in appreciation when the katana sliced through the air in a seamless arch.

"Perfect," he grinned, causing Senhime to toss her hands up frustration.

"Milady, we need to relocate Nagumo and put him on immediate lockdown." Kimigiku pressed. "It'll be easier to do this while he's unconscious."

Mood improved considerably thanks to Chizuru's sudden act of kindness, Okita rested the blunt edge of the sword against his shoulder and saluted the kunoichi.

"Allow me," he implored, grasping Kaoru by the belt of his hakama and lifting him callously from the ground. Sand kernels drifted out of the many folds of his garments, as Okita lugged him toward the trees with as much care as a sack of dirty laundry. Kaoru's guards trailed behind the captain, rigid and solemn as a funeral procession.

Senhime watched his departure through the gaps of her fingers.

"Foolish, ungrateful human," she seethed under her breath. "I can't believe he had the gall to insult me after saving his _life_. Stupid, stupid human!"

"You make it too easy for him," Kimigiku chided her sharply.

"_Me_?" Senhime sputtered. "What about him? He started it!"

Kimigiku arched a brow, murmuring a sarcastic 'uh-huh' before turning for the trees after her kinsmen.

The demoness puffed air through her bangs, suddenly deflated. "Chizuru, are you coming?" She asked, cutting her gaze to the young woman beside her.

Chizuru remained silent.

"Hey, are you okay?" Senhime asked, as she absorbed the girl's tension. "You look exhausted."

The demoness crossed her arms with a sharp sigh.

"Don't tell me you used up all your chikara again." She scolded her student genially.

Chizuru lifted her dark gaze to the demoness, unmoved by her lighthearted gest.

"Thank you for your concern, Osen-chan, but I'm alright." She assured her, turning away to peer at the river. "I just need a few minutes alone."

It was a listless response. Senhime hesitated, reluctant to leave her pupil alone in this distraught state, but at the same time understanding her need for space. The demoness had never seen Chizuru so forlorn before, and immediately felt responsible. The mark from the blood pact pulsed on the back of her hand, sharp and raw. Senhime rubbed at it absently.

"Chizuru…for what it's worth, I'm really sorry." She relayed with a soft sigh. "I know this is a lot to take in, and that you will need some time to adjust to everything. But…when you are ready, we can talk."

Chizuru remained still, so much so, Senhime began to fear that she had lost faith in her entirely. But her voice was soft and grateful when she murmured, "I know, Osen-chan. And thank you."

Relieved, Senhime reached out to squeeze the girl's hand before retreating into the mist, leaving her to contemplate near the water's edge. As she trekked in the direction were Kimigiku had disappeared into the forest, she spotted a rather distracted-looking Demon Vice Commander lingering in the sand.

As she approached him, Hijikata crossed his arms and pinned her with his withering gaze.

"Go to her, Hijikata." She urged him. The severity in his expression faded, as she held his regard, allowing him to see the admission of guilt in her eyes.

"Only you have the power mend her broken heart."

* * *

**A/N:** Guys, I'm so sorry for the horrendous delay in updates. Writer's Block is _very_ real and _very_ debilitating. Even though I have the whole story mapped out in my head, it shut down all my creative juices. Words just did not want to congeal the way I wanted them to, and nothing was ever good enough…still not good enough. Ugh! But enough whining. Here we go! The gang is assembled and ready to kick some ass at Akahori Castle. A lot of exciting things will happen at this interval of the story, so I'm anxious to get writing again over the holiday break. (This chapter is setting up all my plot lines, I'm afraid. But there will be plenty Chizuru/Hijikata in the near future. Their saga is just getting started.)

I also owe a huge THANK YOU to my sweet reviewers who gave me a gentle nudge. I appreciate you so much! It lit a fire in my heart and got me writing again. *happy face*

The final chapter for The Seven Gates of the Demon Arts is halfway through construction, so no more lengthy waiting periods between updates!

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

girliebird


	25. Trust

**Chapter Twenty Five: **_**Trust**_

* * *

For a long time, Chizuru did not move at all. She stood perfectly still and stared at the plumes of mist rising from the river, gray and silver, making shapes like far-reaching fingers. A long shadow stretched across the sand behind her, flickering and convulsing with discernible conflict. Though her small silhouette showed animation to some degree, Chizuru herself appeared carved from stone.

Hijikata carefully considered the situation, taking a deep, steadying breath and exhaling slowly. The hot vapors from his lungs frosted in the night air, mingling with the tension and uncertainty of his thoughts, as he watched her linger near the water in solitude.

Senhime's suggestion was unnecessary. He could see for himself that Chizuru was in grave distress. He had witnessed the betrayal encroach on her gradually, a fatal vice wrapping her in a cold embrace and snuffing the fire out of her gaze. He had grown accustomed to seeing her tears and trembling, but this Chizuru was foreign to him. She did not buckle and weep at the first chance at privacy as he had anticipated. Instead, she had grown dangerously calm. Her placid stillness in the wake of such suffering caused the lieutenant to hesitate.

Hijikata gazed at her slender neck.

So brittle…so fragile…One wrong move on his part and she would shatter into a thousand pieces.

Dropping his gaze, he assessed the carnage still crusting his own uniform, the miscellaneous cuts and snags, and the forest debris coating his collar of black silk. His hands were red and grimy underneath his guards, and his face was still flecked with the consequence of his brutality. Rubbing his forehead with the hem of his sleeve, he did what little he could to salvage his appearance. If Chizuru was indeed suffering from an affliction of the heart, she would find little solace in a ragged, battle-weary lieutenant.

Instinct taking over, Hijikata moved slow and inconspicuous, so as not to startle her. His footsteps ghosted over ivory sand, but as he drew closer, Chizuru sensed his approach and tensed, the slight tremor of her spine announcing her unease. The action drew a discontented frown from the Vice Commander, but he did not let it stop him from joining her side. Crossing arms over his chest, he relaxed his stance and peered out across the water towards the trees on the opposite shore.

Patience was his greatest resource in this moment. Her heart had become a mystery that could not be pried open by force. Coercing the truth from her would be wrong, he realized. This invocation wasn't something he could simply shake out of her. Chizuru was not a captive to be interrogated. She was a wounded comrade who had to come to terms with her own misery before seeking comfort.

An interval of silence passed between them before she finally spoke.

"I just need some time," she said, sounding distant. "I'm not ready to be around my brother."

Hijikata observed her from the corner of his eyes.

"He shouldn't pose a threat to anyone anytime soon," he consoled her gently, but her expression darkened with a mixture of revulsion and disappointment.

"No," she agreed, "but I might."

At this, the corners of his mouth twitched, as he remembered Kaoru's dreadfully swollen face.

"Come then. We can take a long way back to camp." He suggested, resting a hand lightly on her back for reassurance. Chizuru lifted her head in surprise and peered at him questioningly.

"There was a small creek not far from here. We can wash up before we rejoin the others." He said. "We'll be safer in the trees. It's too dangerous to remain out here in the open."

Chizuru paused, quietly absorbing his words. Her dark eyes returned to the river, shifting along the rapids, seeing and unseeing in her unnervingly tranquil manner. Her body stiffened under his touch, but she did not pull away.

"Alright," she agreed quietly, allowing him to steer her from the bank.

They walked in silence for a great while. Hijikata kept a hand on her shoulder, keeping her close, as he rested another hand on the hilt of his sword. By now the moon was at its highest summit, cascading bright, silver light on top of the forest canopy. Pools of pearlescent light dotted the forest floor, serving to guide their way, as they wandered through the thick brush. Hijikata took his time, moving leisurely. He could feel the after-effects of war finally beginning to take its toll on his body, making him feel sluggish and drained. Chizuru too began to wane from exhaustion, having burned up all of her energy with her last attempt to defeat the Red Demon's archers. The longer they walked, the more and more she grew dependent on his presence.

They had almost reached the creek Hijikata had mentioned when her foot slipped underneath an exposed tree root, causing her to lurch forward sharply. The sudden vice startled her, catching her off guard, as she cried out in shock. Without thinking, Hijikata stepped into her path and gathered her into a loose embrace, letting her fall into his chest. He felt her forehead bump into the crook of his neck while her hands came to rest just above his waist. She pulled back abruptly, eyes bright with embarrassment.

"S-sorry…" She stammered. "I wasn't paying attention."

Hearing the brief yet familiar effervescence of her usual clumsy self heartened the oni-fukuchou.

"You don't have to apologize." He replied with a soft smirk. "It's my responsibility to look after you."

He said the words kindly. In fact, with a bit more insinuation than he had originally intended to give, but it was difficult maintaining neutrality with her face just inches from his own. Chizuru averted her gaze, hiding behind the dark, tousled mess of her bangs, but even still, he could see that her cheeks were flushed with an attractive heat.

He wanted to pull her closer. It was getting more and more difficult to hold back, and he vaguely wondered if the blood seal had something to do with this insatiable need for contact. When Chizuru pulled away and rose on her feet, he let go, but most unwillingly.

"I think we're close. I can hear water trickling," she said, moving onward at a brisker pace.

His own ears filled with the familiar sound, a thin, chiming melody that often accompanied the enclosure of a shrine. It was far more intimate of a space than the harsh roar of Nori Creek. The arroyo shined from the bottom of a small gully to their right, but it was a steep climb. Old, rotten tree trunks and forest debris marred their path, blocking them from a direct route.

"We'll just have to climb to the bottom from here," he said, offering her a hand.

Chizuru assessed the distance for herself, squinting into the dim light.

"Thank you, but I should be able to manage," she replied rigidly. Stepping over the crest, she braced her hand against the trunk of a nearby tree and began to slowly slide down towards the water. The leaf litter was slick from moister, causing her sandals to slip. She moved carefully, making sure to avoid any twisted roots or fallen branches that would undermine her footing.

Hijikata sighed.

It was obvious she was avoiding him. In the hours they had spent together in close-fitting quarters _this_ was the first time she was forcibly distancing herself from him. The sensation was acutely unpleasant. Hijikata wondered if this was how his many casual dismissals in the past had made her feel: useless and undesirable. But why? Why now after all this time? He could understand the root of her discord, needing solace away from the others, but keeping him at bay seemed…strange. How on earth could he restore her if she kept herself guarded?

_Patience_, he chastised himself. _Patience_.

A sharp pain coiled deep inside his chest, as he followed her to the bottom of the gulch.

The air grew icy and thick, blades of grass and leaves crunching under their feet at they approached the water. The edges of the stream were lined with large, worn stones in various shades of green and blue. They knelt down on these, careful not to slip on the velvet moss, as they stripped their coats and began scrubbing. Chizuru removed her arm guards and rolled up her sleeves, dipping her hands deep into the water to wash away the dirt and gore from her skin.

Hijikata splashed his own face with water. It was a far cry from a much-needed dip in a hot spring, but the cold sensation aroused him from his exhaustion, sharpening his focus. The simple act of cleansing one's self made him feel human once more, as if the water had the power to wash away the cold-blooded demon within. Unsheathing his katana, he ran a dampened sleeve along the metal finish, erasing any carnage that might tarnish its surface. Working carefully to clean his sword, his muddled thoughts began to wander, drawn out by the calming sounds of the creek.

Chizuru worked beside him, untying her head protector and folding it neatly onto her coat. _Tsundora_ was pulled from her sash as well, and given a good rinse. She had observed the captains go through the same ritual many times after their bloody encounters with ronin in the streets. Calm and contemplative, she worked away the stains, careful not to dwell too long on her fallen victims.

When she crouched low over the water; however, shards of moonlight reflected off the surface, bathing her in an ethereal light. She remained transfixed by it, studying the fragments of her reflection with growing concern.

"Hijikata…" she said, lifting purposefully to her feet. His quick attention caused her to falter; however, exposing the true extent of her anxiety. Squirming with unease, she leveled her shoulders and took a deep breath to recover her resolve.

"You were right." She said. "You were right about everything."

The caused him to pause.

Right about what?

His silence must have weakened her composure. She was facing him with a potent level of fear that warned him to act with extreme delicacy. Curious, he thought. No amount of blood wraiths, ronin, or visits from Kazama could make her appear as frightened as her moments alone with him. The thought caused a sharp pain to gnaw deeply inside his chest. Frowning, Hijikata returned his sword to its lacquer sheath and stood demurely, taking careful notice of the blue shroud still crumpled at her feet.

Winter would surely swallow her whole if she did not put it back on, so why was she hesitating?

"I'm not a soldier," she answered his unvoiced question, anger burning brightly in her eyes. "All this time, I have been playing with forces that are outside my control. Senhime tried to warn me about my power. I _knew_ of the consequences, and yet I..." She balled her hands into fists, overcome with frustration. The words stemming from her mouth formed into a depreciating hiss, as she finally unleashed her turmoil. "I have been so _foolish_."

She stared at him with pure supplication, her eyes never once wavering, as she exposed her heart.

"I just wanted to make a difference," she said. "That's all. Becoming stronger was a way for me to stop all the horrible things that are happening - to take some responsibility over my life – to protect the ones I love. The Shinsengumi believes in solidarity, something I wanted to defend myself. It was desperate and foolhardy, I know. I'm not a soldier. My place is not on the battlefield. I am not versed in strategy or politics, and I made a rather half-rate demon too. No matter how hard I try to improve things, they just keep getting _worse_ and…and it's entirely my fault!"

"Gomen'nasai!" She cried out, bowing before him in a complete show of humility.

"Gomen'nasai!" She said again, this time voice weakening from anguish.

"Gomen'nasai!"

Her body caved from the pain, each apology sounding more shameful and repentant than the first until he could withstand it no more. Hijikata reached out and swallowed her into the heavy folds of his jacket. Pinning her body against his, he ignored the sharp grooves of her chest plate, as he wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. His other arm draped her shoulders, pulling her close so that her forehead rested against his neck.

"_Baka_," he whispered in a heated breath, heart pounding in his chest, "as if _you_ should feel ashamed."

Gods have mercy, what a horrible wretch he was for ever doubting her resolve. Even the most capable samurai alive could not make an act of contrition more sincere or heartbreaking. Hijikata felt the inner walls of his reserve come crashing down, fully infiltrated by the sharp clarity of her remorse. His arms tightened around her, holding her so close he would have bruises from the hard metal of her armor. He didn't care. His wounds could reopen and bleed out, and he would still cling to her with all the strength he had left.

"As if _you_ should be asking for forgiveness," he seethed angrily. "You of all people!"

Having his own words thrown back at him – the same cold, callous words he had flung at her in his moment of resentment– chafed his ears painfully. Had he truly been that harsh? To hear her echo his derision after everything they had been through…

Hijikata closed his eyes, resting a cheek against her temple.

"How can I forgive the woman who protected my men and saved Souji from ambush?" He murmured into her hair gently, breathing in the soft, floral scent. "How can I forgive the woman who risked her life to save Kondou from assassination?" He asked her in a growing frenzy, threading his long fingers into her hair. The heat of her body reminded him of her bright, blue fire, and his thoughts instantly rested on the fiery kiss that had saved his own life. Nuzzling his head deeper into the warmth of her neck, he whispered, "How can I forgive the woman who saved me from the brink of damnation?"

Spoken guilt did not come easy to the oni-fukuchou, especially for a man so set in his ways, but Hijikata no longer wished to maintain any pretenses. If he was going to trust Chizuru implicitly, then he was going to have to be honest with her. No more half-truths, no more delusions…the woman in his arms was real, and his heart wanted her more than anything in the world. He couldn't lie to himself anymore.

"Forgive me," he croaked hoarsely, words sticking to his throat in their unpreparedness. "I have been coerced by a false sense of propriety. I should have trusted in you from the beginning, but my stubbornness impeded my better judgement. Can you ever forgive me?"

Chizuru had been standing still with her arms at her sides, quite at a loss for words. His confession has arrested her attention so completely; he felt her spine jolt from shock. It didn't take her long to recover however. Her fingers quickly dug into his coat, grasping the material in her palms, as she plopped her forehead onto his chest in frustration.

"I don't understand you." She said in a broken cry. "I don't understand you at all! I've gone against your orders, defied your authority, opposed you at every turn…" Her body softened, leaning into him for support as she grew heavy in his arms. "I'm kin to a traitor, Hijikata. Even worse, I have condemned you to share in my fate…so how is it that you are able to show me such kindness?"

Hijikata retracted just far enough to peer into her flustered gaze, finding the raw emotion so much more desirable than her cold composure. This was who she truly was, alive and full of passion. He swept the hair out of her face, silently admiring the dark intensity of her gaze.

"Because it is my desire to share your pain." He answered in the warmest, gentlest timbre, watching her eyes widen in disbelief. A rosy flush returned to her skin and the soft shadow of her lips trembled ever so slightly. He could see that she was hanging onto his every word, dangling in suspense at what he might say next, and the realization emboldened him. "I cannot allow you to shoulder this burden alone." He forbade her in absolution. "No man wishes to see the woman he loves suffer, least of all me."

A shaky gasp escaped her mouth, followed by a look of unbridled shock.

"You…you love me?" She shrilled, behaving as if he had just said something extremely ludicrous.

Hijikata bristled.

"Yes, you infuriating woman." He replied tersely, shaking her a bit in displeasure at how she was responding to his heart-felt confession. "I thought this would have been obvious by now. You can't kiss me and not expect me to suffer the consequence. It's the natural order of things."

"You love me." She repeated again, though this time more bewildered than skeptical.

Hijikata retreated about a half step, raking a hand through his hair, deeply regretting his words.

Fatigue had made him irrational, it would seem. This was not the ideal time or the place to be making such trysts, he knew, but the oni-fukuchou was in that moment defenseless.

"Perhaps it was inopportune for me to be sharing this with you now," he began to backtrack; feeling absolutely absurd. As his confidence began to wane, Chizuru's self-assurance waxed like the full moon in the night sky, spurring her into action. Lifting onto the balls of her feet, she grabbed his silk collar and drew him insatiably close. The sudden motion caused Hijikata's breath to hitch, but he forgot all about breathing - and rational thought for that matter - when her mouth pressed against his. Soft and slow, her kiss unwound the tension in his stomach, filling his chest with a dull heat.

When Chizuru pulled away, he saw her face bloom with color.

"You're crying," he said, somewhat agitated.

"Because I'm happy." She sniffed into his jacket. "Happier than you will ever know."

It was all the incentive he needed.

Cradling her face in his hands, he swiftly and unapologetically claimed her mouth with another slow kiss. Damp tendrils of hair prickled his face, but Chizuru herself was warm and inviting. The pulse at her temples quickened under his fingertips and it was all he could do to remain calm. They had always acted out of desperation at this point, caught in the throes of constant danger. Now…now, he could truly appreciate the beauty that was Chizuru Yukimura. He could savor the shear marvel that someone so sweet and tender could exist in his world of bloodshed.

Drawing air sharply between his teeth, he grew dizzy from the rich scent of her hair. Crushed lilies filled his olfactory senses, resurrecting memories of close encounters. Her parched lips softened, becoming more lush and fragrant by the minute. Hijikata let his hands slip from her face to her shoulders, encircling her arms and pulling her closer. Chizuru in turn curled her spin, filling the space between them so that her torso moved against his. When her hands traveled along the exposed skin of his neck, goose flesh covered his skin, eliciting a soft moan.

It was at that moment that Hijikata's pragmatism made a hasty exodus, giving free reign to his more avaricious nature. Moving backwards until his body was braced against a nearby tree, he pulled Chizuru along with him. She had lost her autonomy by now, fully leaning into him to keep herself upright. It was just as well, because the desire to let go of her was nonexistent. He kept an arm secure around her waist, as she tousled his hair, scraping her nails against his scalp. When she took a breath, he stole it away, deepening the kiss into something far more dangerous and carnal. His taste buds awakened with new flavor, bursting inside his mouth with as much potency as a carafe of heirloom sake.

Chizuru attempted to voice her surprise, but instead made the most alluring silken whine that resonated deep in her chest, arousing his baser instincts unmercifully. Everything about her was intoxicating. Her scent, her touch, her taste…just knowing the power that lay dormant underneath her skin alone was inebriating. She was his complete antithesis, and yet his perfect match. She was everything he had been barring himself against…

Hijikata pulled back rather abruptly, breath ragged and uneven.

"Are…are you alright?" Chizuru panted, confused by his sudden withdrawal. "Are you hurt?"

Hijikata regarded her for a moment, trying to find his voice again.

"Hurt? No…I think I have restrained myself for far too long." He said, trying to stem the rising heat. "If I don't calm down now, I'm afraid I will turn into a beast."

Chizuru peered at him critically, searching his eyes for anything awry.

"No, that can't be possible," she argued with a slight frown. "Your Rasetsu curse should have been eradicated by the blood seal. I'm sure of it."

Hijikata blinked.

Her indelible innocence provoked a dark humor from the oni-fukuchou. Such barefaced virtue beckoned his appetite, almost making him forget himself again.

"I'm talking about a very different sort of beast." He explained with a soft smirk, absently running fingers through her hair. "But I do appreciate the reassurance."

Chizuru frowned, completely oblivious to how tempting she appeared with her swollen lips and ruddy cheeks. The knot at the top of her head had come apart, letting pieces of hair fall against her neck. He enjoyed the way her eyebrows knitted into a confused scowl, working out the riddle he had presented her until realization flourished in her intense gaze, then embarrassment, and finally exasperation.

Chizuru exhaled all the oxygen in her body in one giant gasp.

"_Oh_…" she blushed, lowering her voice with understanding. Her focus fell to the hem of his jacket, as she contemplated the idea. She hadn't balked, as he had expected her to. Instead, she grew pensive, fidgeting with his collar thoughtfully. Hijikata watched her with keen interest, wondering what could possibly be going on inside her head.

"I…I wouldn't mind such a thing occurring, you know," she said after a moment of careful consideration. She glanced at him through her lashes, looking both timid and sincere. "I trust you."

He froze; quite sure he was facing his greatest test of honor yet. Several impulses struck his fancy in that single moment, but he settled for leaning his head against the tree instead, letting a frazzled smile touch his lips.

"Is that so?" He murmured.

Not knowing what to make of his aloof reaction, Chizuru immediately began to withdraw.

"You surprise me," he said, denying her freedom. "I may have said all of those things, Chizuru, but you have proven me wrong. You're a demon, and a very capable one at that," he smirked, tousling her head roughly. "It's just as well that we're bonded. I no longer have any wish to fight you…that is, not unless I have to…you can be so reckless."

Chizuru winced under his rough ministrations, peering at him through narrowed eyes.

"Well I don't want to fight you either," she said defiantly, "unless, of course, it's at your side."

Hijikata's grin widened. Gathering her in his arms, he leaned in so that their foreheads rested against each other.

"I can agree to that." He allowed.

Chizuru relaxed, but grew solemn under his gaze.

"Do you believe we still have a fighting chance?" She asked him tentatively.

"Of course, I do." He replied. "Consider: not long ago you were a physician's daughter and I a farmer. Now you're almost a demon sovereign and I the Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi. Individuals such as us could not possibly have made it this far without cause."

Chizuru arched a brow, suspecting sarcasm, but the sincerity of his words gave her courage.

"You're right. There's still time to fix things," she smiled determinedly, "and our objectives haven't changed either."

"Right." He nodded. "We will find Koudou."

"We will stop Kazama."

"And we will save Japan."

In the act of poetic justice, Hijikata intended to seal their pact with another kiss, but in her enthusiasm, Chizuru managed to wriggle free of his grasp.

"Oh, for heaven's sake. What now?" He groused sourly.

She returned to the water's edge and retrieved her wakazashi. Lacing it through the waistband of her black hakama, she reclaimed her Shinsengumi shroud from the ground, shaking it loose before donning it like a cloak.

"First, I'll be needing my uniform," she said. "Then I'll be ready for anything."

Hijikata gazed at the implausible woman that had become his pairbond, admired the restored strength and determination in her bright, copper gaze, and decided with unequivocal certainty that the asagi-blue of his house suited her perfectly.

"Ah," he grinned in approval, moving swiftly to ensnare her once more. "But not without another kiss for good measure."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

**A/N: **This update is late, late, _late_! Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. Unexpected life events have kept me from completing this story, but I want you to know how deeply I appreciate your reviews and words of encouragement. I am finally at a point where I can start working on the second installment too, so if this chapter comes as a disappointment – just know that more is on the way. I've got to get the gang back together now that Kondou is safe. :D

Here is the soundtrack that helped inspire this chapter:

Flow Like Water – James Newton Howard

Main Theme (The Village) – James Newton Howard

All the Sand in the Sea – Devotchka (I would choose this song for the "credits" of the story if it had any.)

To all my readers and followers, thank you so much for everything! You guys are wonderful.

girliebird


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